First  Experience  on  the  Boat. 


See  page  52. 


THE  MORTGAGE 
ON  THE  HIP-ROOF  HOUSE 


BY 


ALBION  W.  TOURGEE 

Author  of 
A  Fool's  Errand,"  "  Murvai-e  Eastman,"  '-'Out  of  thk 
Sunset  Sea,"  "  The  War  of  the  Standards,"  Etc. 


^ 


CINCINNATI :  CURTS  &  JENNINGS 
NEW  YORK :   EATON  &  MAINS 

1896 


COPYRIGHT 

BY  CURTS  &  JENNINGS, 

1S96. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Paoe. 

French  Sorkel, 9 


CHAPTER  IT. 

The  Hip-roof  House,  and  its  Inmates, 27 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Queen  of  the  "West, 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Joe's  First  Experience  on  the  Boat, 52 

CHAPTER  V. 
An  Interview  with  the  Captain, C7 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Joe's  Engagement, 76 

CHAPTER  VI r. 
A  Visit  to  Home, 89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Joe's  Project, 101 

942212  '' 


4  Contents. 

CHArXER  IX. 

Page. 

The  Apple-crop, 114 

CHAPTER  X. 
Driving  a  Bargain, 127 

CHAPTER  Xr. 
The  Captain's  Orders 147 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

Apples  and  Kisses, 178 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
An  Indenture, 1S2 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

First  Experience  ox  the  Boat.  Frontispiece. 

Return  from  the  Village, 41 

Joe's  Interview  with  Captain  Moxom, 72 

Joe  and  'Cindy  in  the  Orchard, 104 

The  Indenture  Signed, 196 

5 


THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE 
HIP-ROOF  HOUSE. 


THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE 
HIP-ROOF  HOUSE. 


Chapter  I. 

FRENCH  SORREL. 


"T  T  'S  a  miglity  back'ard  spring,  Joey." 

1  "I  s'pose  't  is,  Daddy  Waugli.  That  was 
what  Mr.  Perkins  said  to-day;  but  it  do  n't  seem 
to  me  as  if  our  garden  was  ever  any  forwarder 
tlian  't  is  this  year.  Just  about  every  thing  is 
up,  and  there  ain't  a  weed  in  it.  I  've  got  ye 
a  good  mess  of  that  big  French  sorrel  you  're 
so  fond  of  for  supper.  It  won't  be  long  'fore 
we  shall  have  some  sort  of  garden-stuff  every 
day,  now.     Ain't  that  nice?" 

The  boy — a  sturdy  lad  of  fifteen,  with  dark- 
blue  eyes,  and  short,  brown  hair  curling  about 

his  brow — held  towards  the  decrepit  figure  in 

9 


10  The  Hip-roof  House. 

an  old  anu-c'liair,  a  bowl  full  of  the  large,  light- 
green  leaves  of  what  he  correctly  termed  French 
sorrel,  the  Rumex  scutata  of  the  botanists,  which 
was  deservedly  a  favorite  dish  with  our  fathers, 
though  few  of  the  present  generation  ever 
tasted  it. 

"That  is  nice,  Joey,"  said  the  old  man,  peer- 
ing eagerly  at  it  through  his  glasses,  lifting  the 
broad  leaves  carefully  in  his  trembling  fingers, 
and  letting  them  fall  back,  one  by  one,  into  the 
dish.  'T  do  n't  remember  as  I  ever  see  bigger 
leaves  'n  that,  for  a  first  cuttin',  anywhere," 

The  boy's  face  flushed  with  pleasure. 

"'You  see,  I  took  particular  care  of  it,  know- 
ing liow  you  liked  it,  daddy,"  he  said,  speaking 
in  that  loud  tone  one  gets  accustomed  to  using, 
who  has  much  intercourse  with  people  whose 
hearing  is  impaired. 

''Of '  course,  you  must  have  done  that;  but 
you  need  n't  holler  at  me  so.  It 's  a  dreilul  bad 
habit  you  're  gettin'  into,  Joey, — 'long  o'  living 
with  me,  1  'spose,  though  I  ain't  deaf,  not  to 
sav  deaf,  that  is,  Joey;  only  a  leetle  dull  of  hear- 


French  Sorrel.  H 

ill',  so  to  speak.  I  think  I  hear  jest  about  ez 
well  cz  ever,  when  I  'in  thinkiii'  'bout  listenin', 
you  know;  when  my  mind  's  on  what  a  body's 
talkin'  about,  ez  you  may  say." 

The  old  man  spoke  in  that  plaintive  tone  of 
self-defense  in  whicdi  age  seeks  to  excuse  its 
infirmities.  Joe  knew  the  tone,  also  the  remedy, 
and  applied  it  promptly. 

''That 's  so,  daddy.  I  've  noticed  it  more  'n 
a  hundred  times.  If  you  're  thinking  'bout  what 
any  one  's  saying,  seems  as  if  you  heard  what 
was  said  almost  'fore  they  could  git  the  words 
out." 

"That 's  just  the  way  't  is,  when  my  mind  's 
on  it;  but  }'ou  see,  settin'  here  all  day,  and  the 
bigger  part  of  the  night,  too,  most  of  the  time 
I  git  kind  o'  wrapped  up  in  my  thoughts,  and 
I  s'pose,  really,  it  takes  quite  a  clap  to  git  me 
out  of  'em." 

"Well — a  little — sometimes,  daddy,"  replied 
the  boy,  cautiously  and  cheerfully. 

He  had  drawn  out  the  table  as  they  talked, 
and  was  busy  setting  it  for  the  evening  meal. 


12  The  Hip-roof  House. 

The  table  was  of  white  rock-maple  of  a  very 
peculiar  grain,  supported  on  two  pairs  of  crossed 
legs  connected  by  braces  running  from  the  top 
of  one  set  to  the  bottom  of  the  other,  on  each 
side.  Across  each  end  was  nailed  a  narrow 
strip  of  that  beautiful  wood,  the  sycamore,  the 
soft,  reddish  surface  of  whicli,  dotted  with 
niinute  yellow  scales,  contrasted  pleasantly  with 
the  snowy  maple.  The  whole  was  spotlessly 
clean,  and  bore  evidence  of  that  peculiar  finish 
which  only  years  of  use  and  frequent  scouring 
can  confer.  Looking  at  the  edges,  one  could 
see  that  the  boards  had  been  worn  thinner  in 
the  middle  than  at  either  end.  The  boy  took 
some  blue-edged  plates  with  curious  dragon- 
ligures  in  the  middle,  and  some  little  horn- 
handled  knives  and  forks,  the  former  thin  and 
narrow,  from  a  cupboard  in  the  corner  of  the 
room,  and  placed  them  on  the  table. 

The  old  man  put  out  his  hand,  moving  his 
fingers  gently  along  the  polished  surface. 

''I  guess  the  old  table  '11  outlast  me  yet," 
he  said,  querulously.     "It 's  stood  a  good  while, 


French  Sorrel.  13 

and  is  just  as  stiddy  on  its  legs  as  it  was  tlie 
day  't  was  made.  That  was  Lowiza's  birthday. 
Sawed  the  boards  with  a  hand-saw  out  of  a 
tree  we  cut  down  l)v  tlie  spring.  That  's  wliy 
the  boards  are  so  narrer;  I  liad  to  split  it,  you 
see,  'cause  I  could  n't  rip  through  the  whole 
log.     It  ain't  a  bad  lookin'  table  yet." 

"It 's  the  prettiest  curly-maple  I  ever  saw," 
said  the  boy. 

"Curlv?  Don't  call  that  curly-maple,  Joe. 
How  many  times  have  I  got  to  tell  ye  that  ain't 
curly-maple,  but  bird's-eye?  Do  'n  ye  sec  them 
leetle  wdiite  specks  with  the  dark  edges? 
Them 's  the  eyes.  That 's  bird's-eye  maple, 
an'  about  the  prettiest  piece  of  wood  I  ever 
saw.  'T  won't  make  no  difference,  though, 
when  other  folks  come  to  git  it,  whether  it 's 
curled  or  bird's-eye — handsome  or  homely.  It 's 
out  o'  fashion,  and  only  fit  for  the  cellar  or  the 
garret." 

The  boy  noted  the  plaintive  tone,  and  spoke 
up,  cheerfully, — 

"A  little  sugar  and  a  touch  of  vinegar  will 


14  The  Hip-roof  House. 

make  this  sorrel  right  toothsome,  daddy.  It 's 
first-rate  with  bread  and  butter,"  he  continued, 
as  lie  bustled  about  his  duties. 

"T  used  to  like  it  in  my  young  days,''  said 
the  old  man,  sadly,  ''and  Lowiza  in  particular 
set  great  store  In'  it.  When  we  moved  to  this 
c(»unti-y  she  brought  them  very  roots  along  with 
her,  them  and  some  posy  jdants  and  things, 
from  the  old  home-place  back  in  Berkshire — 
in  a  little  bag  she  hardly  let  go  out  of  her  sight 
all  the  way.  I  used  to  tell  her  over  'n  often 
that  the  bigger  part  of  our  comfort  here  come 
out  of  that  bag.  You  see  she  was  that 
thoughtful  that  she  had  saved  up  pips  of  all 
the  best  sorts  of  apples  in  her  father's  orchard, 
and  all  the  country  round  for  that  matter, 
and  the  same  with  pears  and  plums.  She  had 
little  slips  of  currants  and  gooseberries,  too, 
that  grew,  when  we  come  to  set  them  out,  as 
if  they  had  been  rooted  for  years,  and  we  've 
got  them  in  the  garden  now.  It 's  jest  wonder- 
ful how  much  good  can  be  got  out  of  a  little, 
if  one  's  keerful  and  knowin'." 


French  Sorrel.  15 

''Grandma  must  have  been  a  very  careful 
woman,"  said  the  boy. 

"Iveerful?  Why,  we  hadn't  hardly  got  the 
logs  out  for  the  house  'fore  she  wanted  a  place 
cleared  for  a  garden;  so  we  cut  down  that  bit 
of  rich  flat  below  the  spring,  and  burned  it 
off,  and  set  out  her  little  bundle  of  roots,  an' 
planted  a  few  seeds.  I  remember  we  laughed 
a  good  deal  about  one  little  yaller  piece  of 
madder-root  that  we  wuz  all  sure  would  n't 
amount  to  nothin'.  But,  law  sakes,  there 
was  n't  room  enough  in  the  whole  clearin'  to 
set  out  what  we  got  from  it  the  next  year. 

''That 's  more  'n  forty  years  ago,  Joey.  The 
orchard  has  nigli  about  all  come  from  them 
seeds  and  slips,  an'  the  garden  's  been  on  that 
same  piece  of  ground  ever  sence.  I  do  n't 
s'pose  tlier  's  a  better  acre  of  land  in  the  whole 
country  than  that  piece  of  black  silo  rouml 
the  spring.  I  've  put  a  many  a  day's  work  on 
it,  Joey,  an'  it  never  's  failed  to  give  me  back 
good  intrust  on  all  it 's  had.  That  an'  the  old 
orchard  and  the  bits  of  medder-land  below  the 


y.6  The  Hip-roof  House. 

barn  are  worth  as  rnucli  as  a  gold-mine,  ef  one 
only  bed  tbe  strength  to  take  keer  on  'em  an' 
work  'em  ez  they  ought  to  be  worked." 

''That 's  just  what  Mr.  Perkins  was  a-sayin' 
to-(hiy,"  rctiinicd  tlie  l)oy,  cheerfully.  "He 
said  he  did  n't  knctw  anywhere  in  all  tlie 
counti'v  round  another  ten  acres  as  good  as 
ours." 

"ITe  did,  eh?"  said  the  old  man,  snappishly. 
"Where  'd  you  see  'Siali  Perkins,  to  have  so 
much  talk  with  him  to-day?" 

"Down  at  the  garden,  daddy;  I  hain't  been 
nowhere  else,"  answered  the  boy,  in  surprise. 

"An'  the  sneakin'  varmint  was  down  there, 
was  he?" 

Tlie  boy  looked  across  the  table  at  the  old 
man,  in  amazement. 

"Why  do  n't  ye  answer  my  question?"  asked 
the  latter,  sharply. 

"You — you — you  mean — j\Ir.  Perkins?" 
dubiously. 

"Of  course,  I  mean  'Siah  Perkins.     If  ther  's 


French  Sorrel.  17 

a  meaner,  more  contemptible  varmint  anywliero 
ronnJ,  I  do  n't  know  it." 

Killis  AVangli  smote  tlie  wliite,  uneven  floor 
with  Lis  cane  very  spitefully  jis  lie  said  this, 
and  his  mild  face  was  flushed  with  anger.  The 
hoy  looked  at  him  in  silent  wonder  for  a 
moment.  Then  he  stammered  out,  as  if  com- 
pelled to  say  something: 

"Yes,  sir,  I — I  did  n't  know,  sir."  The  hesi- 
tant, apologetic  tone  attracted  the  old  man's 
attention,  even  in  the  midst  of  his  wrath. 

"Xo  more  you  did  n't,  sonny,"  he  said, 
kindly,  ''There,  there,  do  n't  you  go  to  feelin' 
bad  now.  I  did  n't  mean  to  be  so  fractious- 
like.  The  fact  is,  Joe,  I  've  had  a  good  deal 
to  bear  up  under  lately,  an'  had  to  bear  it  all 
alone." 

"Couldn't  I  help  you,  Daddy  AVaughT' 
asked  Joe,  coming  round  the  table  and  laying 
his  hand  on  the  old  man's  shoulder,  while  he 
gazed  into  his  face  with  eyes  full  of  tears. 

"You  're  a  good  boy,  Joey,  a  good  boy,  and 
2 


18  The  Hip-roof  House. 

you  've  done  all  a  boy  of  your  age  conld  do 
to  keep  tilings  agoin',  but  this  is  'way  beyond 
your  strength,  child." 

''I  'm  a  pretty  stout  boy,  daddy,"  said  Joe, 
smiling  manfully  through  his  tears. 

"So  you  be,  Joe,  so  you  be,  an'  a  willin' 
one,  an'  a  brave  one,  too.  There  ain't  no  doubt 
o'  that.  If  it  had  n't  been  for  you,  I  do  n't 
know  how  we  'd  ever  have  got  nlong  sence  my 
last  stroke.  You  could  n't  'a'  done  better 
ef  you  'd  been  my  own  son,  an'  I  do  n't  s'posc, 
if  the  truth  was  known,  that  the  only  son  I 
had  would  have  done  anything  like  as  well. 
Jake  was  a  good  boy,  kind  uv  hot-tempered 
like  his  mother,  and  a  little  inclined  to  be 
slacksy  like — wal,  like  his  fayther.  Tic  worked 
hard  'nough  when  he  was  a  boy,  but  he  was  n't 
thrifty  an'  managin'  as  you  've  been  sence  ye've 
hed  everything  on  yer  shoulders." 

"O,  Daddy  Waugh,  I  'm  sure  he  'd  have 
done  a  great  deal  better  'n  I.  I  only  wish  he  M 
been  here,  instead  of  me,"  sobbed  the  boy, 
bravely  ignoring  the  praise  bestowed  upon  his 
acts. 


French  Sorrel.  19 

"Jake  was  a  good,  higli-sperrited  bo}',  aud 
lie  grew  up  into  a  brave,  higli-sperrited  man. 
If  he  had  lived  I  think  he  'd  'a'  been  a  credit 
to  the  eunntry  as  well  as  to  his  parents.  But 
it  was  n't  to  be.  He  was  jest  gittin'  a  start 
Avlien  he  died,  an'  left  his  wife  a-dyin'  of  con- 
sumption, an'  'Cindy  a  little  tot  less  'n  three 
years  old.  He  was  in  debt  some,  which  was 
nateral  enough,  jest  when  he  was  buildin'  up 
his  biznis,  ye  know,  an'  Lowizy  an'  I  agreed 
that,  though  we  wa'nt  in  no  way  bound  fer  his 
debts,  it  was  n't  proper  that  anybody  should 
suffer  loss  by  our  only  child  ^\•lli]e  we  had  a 
plenty  an'  every  year  a  leetle  to  spare. 

"So  I  took  up  the  load  that  Providence 
seemed  to  hev  ordered  for  me  to  carry,  never 
once  thinkin'  it  would  git  ez  heavy  as  it 's  bin 
the  last  few  years.  Of  course,  Lucindy — the 
child  hain't  come  in  yit,  has  she?"  he  asked, 
hastily  lowering  his  voice,  and  looking  tov.-ards 
the  door  opening  into  another  room. 

"No,"  said  Joe,  confidently,  "she  was  going 
to  stay  to  supper  with  ]\ratilda  jMason,  and  come 
home  in  the  evening.     That  's  the  reason  I  was 


20  The  Hip-roof  House. 

getting  supper.     I  dcclai-e,  I  'd  almost  forgot 
I  was  getting  it,  too." 

^'Xever  mind  now,  Joey,  I  want  to  tell  ye 
about  this  matter,  an'  I  'spect  I  better  do  it 
afore  Lucindy  comes.  It  '11  be  hard  enough 
for  her,  anyhow." 

"l^ow,  daddy,  don't  you  be  troublin'  'bout 
'Cindy.  She  ain't  as  old  as  I  am,  but  I  tell 
you,  daddy,  she 's  smart.  There  ain't  no 
dodgin'  that.  Tain't  only  what  she  does,  but 
what  she  thinks,  that  counts.  AVhen  you  come 
to  see  what  we  've  done  and  how  we  've  got 
along  this  spring.  Daddy  Waugh,  I  'm  sure 
you  '11  get  over  your  bad  feelings.  I  would  n't 
never  have  thought  of  half  the  things  nor  of 
half  the  handy  ways  of  doin'  'em  that  she  did. 
And  you  must  remember  we  're  going  to  be 
stronger  and  better  able  to  take  care  of  you 
every  year  from  now  on.  I  '11  get  your  go-cart 
fixed  up  before  Sunday,  and  take  you  out  to 
see  how  well  everything  is  getting  along." 

''Don't,    don't,   child,"    said   the   old   man, 
with    a   pathetic    gesture;    "you    jest    make    it 


French  Sorrel.  21 

harder  for  me,  Joey."  There  was  an  inde- 
scribable wail  in  his  voice  as  he  spoke.  ''Joey, 
't  ain't  no  use.  I  thought  maybe  we  'd  weather 
it  through,  you  an'  'Cindy  are  so  helpful  an' 
good,  but  't  ain't  no  use.  AVe  've  jest  got  to 
give  up.  It  seems  as  if  I  'd  had  nothing 
but  bad  luck  since  Jacob  died.  It  kind  of 
broke  Lowizy's  sperit,  the  boy  dyin'  an'  havin' 
to  pay  his  debts,  or  engage  to  pay  'em,  an' 
the  first  I  knew  she  went,  too.  Then  the  crops 
was  bad  an'  I  had  to  sell  one  piece  of  land  after 
another  to  meet  the  notes.  After  awhile  Per- 
kins somehow  persuaded  me  to  put  money  into 
a.  speculation  he  was  a  startin',  or  at  least  to 
give  my  note  for  it.  He  said  the  business 
would  be  sure  to  pay  long  afore  the  note  come 
due.  I  did  n't  have  Lowizy  to  advise  with  or 
I  should  n't  'a'  done  it,  I  s'pose.  I  signed 
the  note,  though,  and  l)y  and  l)y,  when  it  come 
due,  I  had  to  mortgage  what  there  was  left  of 
the  old  place  tO  meet  it.  That  was  'bout  the 
time  of  my  first  sti'oke  or  a  leetle  afore  that. 
You  remember  it,  do  n't  }e,  Joey?" 


22  The  Hip-roof  House. 

^'Yes,  daddy,"  said  the  boy,  soothingly. 

"AVal,  everything  went  on  from  bad  to  worse 
atter  tliat.  I  was  totterish  an'  nnstiddy,  an' 
had  to  hire  everything  done  that  was  done.  I 
sokl  off  tlie  land,  leetle  by  leetle,  to  make  the 
payments  an'  keep  down  the  intrnst,  an'  we 
lived  on  the  scraps  that  was  left  over.  This 
last  year  or  two,  yon  an'  'Cindy  have  managed 
so  well  I  begnn  to  hope  we  'd  git  along  an' 
save  wdiat 's  left  of  the  old  place;  bnt  't  ain't 
no  nse,  Joey;  't  ain't  no  nse." 

"Has  anything  happened  lately,  daddy?" 
asked  the  boy,  tenderly  smoothing  back  the 
scanty  locks  npon  the  old  man's  brow. 

"Yes,  Joey,  the  very  worst  has  happened  that 
could;  I  b'lieve  I  could  bear  it  myself,  if  it 
was  n't  for  you  and  'Cindy.  'T  would  n't  hurt 
me  so  very  nnich  goin'  to  the  county-housej 
'cause  it  would  n't  be  for  long,  you  know.  But 
I  did  want  to  see  you  an'  'Cindy  grow  up  till 
you  was  able  to  help  yourselves.  I  wanted  to 
see  you  livin'  in  the  hip-roofed  house,  too,  both 


French  Sorrkl.  23 

on  ve,  if  it  slioiild  please  God  you  sliould  be 
so  minded.  You  see  my  heart 's  sot  on  the  old 
place.  1  can't  think  of  it  goin'  to  strangers. 
You  ain't  no  relation  to  me  as  I  know  of,  Joey, 
but  as  I  said,  an  own  son  could  n't  have  been 
no  better  to  me,  an'  I  did  want  you  to  live  in 
Daddy  Waugh's  house  till  you  was  ready  to 
go  into  yer  own,  unless  you  an'  'Cindy  could 
agree  to  keep  right  on  here." 

''Won't  you  tell  me  what 's  a-worrying  you 
now,  daddy?"  asked  the  boy,  with  a  flush  on 
his  face. 

''It's  jest  this,  Joey:  that  air  scoundrel, 
'Siah  Perkins,  has  bought  that  mortgage. 
Squire  Sanderson,  that  used  to  hold  it,  did  n't 
never  press  for  his  money.  lie  knew  't  was 
secure,  and  only  wanted  the  intrust.  Some- 
times he  waited  fer  that,  if  times  was  too  hard 
for  me.  But  he  died  a  few  months  ago,  ye 
know,  an'  the  administrator  he  solil  the  note, 
as  (»f  course  he  had  to,  in  settliu'  up  the  estate, 
an'     that    sneakin',     low-lived     'Siah     Perkins 


24  Thk  Hip-Koor  House. 

bought  it.  lie  was  here  to-(hiy,  an'  sajs  he  's 
got  to  liave  the  money  inside  of  three  months 
or  lie  '11  foreclose." 

"What's  that,  daddy ^" 

''AVhy,  sell  the  place  to  pay  the  debt,  ye 
know." 

"Can  he  do  that?" 

''Yes,  he  kin  do  it,  son,  though  I  guess  he  M 
have  to  bring  suit  first  to  find  out  jest  how 
much  was  comin'  on  the  mortgage.  Anyway, 
I  calculate  it  would  be  about  October  afore  he 
could  git  a  hold  of  it  himself,  an'  that  I  guess 
is  about  his  estimate,  too.  He  waited  till  you 
got  the  sj)ring's  work  pretty  well  done,  and 
probably  counts  on  gittin'  the  hay-crop  an' 
the  apples." 

"It's  a  shame!"  said  the  boy,  hotly.  ''The 
orchard  is  as  full  as  it  can  be,  and  there  ain't 
hardly  any  other  trees  round  here  bearin'  this 
year.     How  much  is  the  debt,  daddy?" 

"Ez  near  'z  I  can  calculate  it,  intrust  'n  all, 
it  must  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  three  hun- 


French  Sorrel.  25 

dred  an'  fifty  dollars.  It  can't  be  any  more  'n 
that,  nohow." 

''But  he  said  to-day  the  place  was  Avorth  a 
thousand  dollars,"  said  the  boy,  in  surprise. 

"Of  course,"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  bit- 
terly. "That  's  the  reason  he  wants  to  get  it. 
lie  knows  I  can't  raise  the  money,  and  I  'spect 
he  's  afraid  to  wait  longer  for  fear  you  may 
get  able  to  help  me  after  a  while.  I  do  n't 
s'pose  I  ought  to  have  called  him  hard  names, 
Joey,  but  it  is  a  mean  trick." 

''"Why,  the  apples  '11  pay  mighty  near  half 
of  it,  the  way  things  are  likely  to  be  in  the 
fall,"  said  Joe,  indignantly. 

"I  'd  thought  of  that,  my  son;  but  then 
there  'd  be  the  other  half.  It  ain't  no  use  to 
lift  one  end  of  the  log  an'  not  stir  the  other." 
The  old  man's  tone  was  hopeless. 

"It  seems  as  if  there  ought  to  be  some  way 
— as  if  somebody  would  help  you,  Daddy 
Waugh,"  said  the  boy,  meditatively. 

"It  would  seem  so,  Joey;  but  you  know  I  've 


26  The  Hip-roof  House. 

been  as  good  ez  dead  fer  iiigli  on  to  four  years, 
and  tlie  world  forgits  the  dead  wonderful  quick, 
my  son.  It  hardly  knows  I  'm  alive,  now  I 
can't  git  around.  Xo,  I  've  thought  it  all  over, 
an'  there  ain't  no  way  out  only  jest  to  let  him 
sell" 

"And  what  then?"  asked  Joe. 

"Wal,  I  take  it  the  place  '11  bring  a  leetle 
more  'n  the  mortgage  in  spite  of  the  hard  times. 
This  '11  keep  you  'n  'Cindy  'long  till  you  're 
able  to  help  yourselves." 

''And  you,  daddy — what  '11  become  of  you?" 

''O,  I  '11  go  to  the  county-house.  It 's  a  com- 
fortable place,  and  Mr.  Wilcox  '11  take  good 
keer  on  me  while  tlier  's  any  need  for  't." 

''Daddy  Waugh,"  said  the  boy,  impetuously, 
"do  n't  you  say  another  word.  You  ain't  never 
goin'  to  the  county  house  while  'Cindy  'n  me 
are  alive." 

"That  he  ain't!"  came  in  a  shrill  tone  from 
the  doorway,  and  a  bright-faced  girl  rushed 
across  the  room  and  threw  herself  on  the  old 
man's  neck  in  a  passion  of  tears. 


Chapter  11. 

THE  HIP-ROOF  HOUSE,  AND  ITS  INMATES. 

THE  Hip-roof  House  stood  on  the  north  side 
of  the  ancient  thoroughfare  that  followed 
the  undulating  shore-line  of  Lake  Erie  from 
Buffalo  to  Toledo,  along  Avhieh  the  stages 
ran  in  the  period  immediately  preceding  the 
railway  epoch.  It  was  of  somewhat  preten- 
tious design — the  upright  portion,  which  stood 
with  its  gahle  towards  the  higiu\'ay,  having 
been  flanked  by  two  wings,  each  with  a  porch 
in  front.  One  of  these  now  constituted  the 
living-room  of  the  family.  It  opened  both  into 
the  parlor,  a  great  half-furnished  apartment, 
Avhich  occupied  the  whole  front  of  the  upright 
part,  and  tlie  kitchen,  an  almost  equally  spa- 
cious room  in  the  rear,  with  a  staii'way  be- 
tween. The  roof  of  the  main  part,  which  had 
given  a  name  to  the  house,  was  really  a  curb- 
roof;  that  is,  the  line  of  the  rafters  was  broken 

27 


28  The  Hip-roof  House. 

at  the  purlinc,  making  a  roof  with  double  pitcli, 
the  lower  much  more  sharply  inclined  than  the 
npper.     They  have  become  common  in  modern 
times  under  the  name  of  French  roofs,  or  man- 
sards.    In  some  parts  of  the  country  they  were 
foriuerly  known  as  Dutch  roofs.     In  the  region 
of  which  we  write  they  were  very  rare,  so  that 
the   Hip-roof   House   was   a   landmark   to    the 
traveler  by  stage  between  the  great  East  and 
the  greater  AVest.     A  half-mile  away  the  ridge- 
road   was   intersected   by   one   from   the   south- 
ward; the  village  lay  a  mile  to  the  west  and 
five  miles  beyond  was  the  harbor,  whose  light 
showed    at    night    over    the    intervening    low 
ground.     The  house  was  at  the  top  of  a  sandy 
hill,  and  the  meadows  in  its  rear  sloped  to  the 
northwestward.     A  spring,  famous  through  all 
the   country   round,   burst  out   of   the   hillside, 
fifty   yards  below   the   house   and   midway   be- 
tween it  and  the  barn.     To  the  west  lay  the 
garden.     The  house  had  once  been  painted  red, 
and  still  showed  red  in  the  landscape,  but  near 
at  hand  betrayed  the  ravages  of  time.     House, 


Its  Inmates.  29 

garden,  and  barn  were  all  imbedded,  as  it  were, 
in  the  orchard.  Garden,  meadow,  barnyard, 
lane,  all  were  fringed  and  stndded  with  trees — 
apple,  pear,  plnm,  cherry,  and  a  few  old  and 
scraggy  peach  trees. 

This  was  the  domain  of  Killis  AVaugh.  The 
name  no  donltt  had  been  intended  Achilles,  but 
the  Yankee  tongue  had  made  it  "Killis,"  and 
the  spelling  had  conformed  to  pronunciation. 
He  was  an  old  man,  past  seventy.  He  had  lived 
for  half  a  century  on  the  spot  yvhere  the  Hip- 
roof House  stood.  He  had  cut  away  the  forest, 
planted  the  orchard,  built  the  house,  grown 
prosperous  and  forehanded,  if  not  exactly  rich, 
in  his  prime,  and  now  in  his  old  age,  reduced 
almost  to  want,  still  clung  to  the  remnant  of 
the  homestead  he  had  carved  out  of  the  pri- 
meval forest.  The  farm  had  shrunk  from  two 
hundred  acres  to  ten.  These,  with  the  "rights, 
privileges,  and  appurtenances  thereunto  belong- 
ing," and  the  incumbrances  thereto  attaching, 
constituted  his  sole  estate. 

Four  years  before  had  come  his  first  "stroke," 


30  The  Hip-roof  House. 

as  lie  called  it,  following  hard  upon  the  death 
of  his  wife.  It  had  left  a  sluggishness  of  limb 
which  allowed  him  to  move  about  with  diffi- 
culty, but  forbade  any  considerable  amount  of 
physical  labor.  He  had  been  what  is  termed 
a  ''handy"  man  in  his  earlier  days,  however, 
and  with  the  aid  of  a  few  tools  and  a  turning- 
lathe,  which  he  had  made  years  before,  he  con- 
tinued to  contribute  something  toward  the  sup- 
port of  the  little  family — more,  perhaps,  than  he 
would  have  done  had  he  been  able  to  attend  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  tiny  farm.  The  land  had 
been  worked  "on  shares"  until  its  shrinking 
dimensions  made  it  insufficient  for  the  support 
of  a  tenant.  After  that,  it  had  been  "let  out" 
in  patches,  or  the  Avork  done  "by  the  job"  by 
parties  Avho  were  glad  to  take  their  pay  in  the 
plain  but  honest  work  that  came  from  the  old 
man's  hands.  His  second  stroke,  coming  two 
years  after  the  first,  had  chained  him  to  his 
chair  without  impairing,  to  any  great  extent, 
his  mental  power  or  manual  dexterity. 

Killis  Waugh  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordi- 


Its  Inmates.  31 

nary  intelligence,  one  of  those  to  be  found  in 
most  conntry  neigliborliooJs,  -whose  delight  it 
is  to  attend  to  the  public  duties  which  are  sure 
to  be  thrust  upon  them.  For  more  years  than 
fall  to  an  ordinary  life  he  had  been  a  justice  of 
the  peace,  trustee  of  the  townshij)  and  Church, 
director  of  the  district  school,  and  general  ad- 
viser of  the  neighborhood.  Attentive  as  he 
was  to  others'  interests,  his  own  would  have 
fared  poorly,  even  in  his  prime,  but  for  the 
thrifty  energy  of  his  wife.  Owing  to  her  pru- 
dent management,  and  the  enhancement  of 
values  in  the  region  where  they  lived,  they 
had  accumulated  the  comfortable  property 
which  was  dissipated  by  their  son's  misfortune 
and  their  honorable  eiforts  to  redeem  his  name 
from  the  opprol)rium  of  debt.  AVith  his  mis- 
fortune had  come  the  sense  of  being  forgotten, 
which  naturally  follows  retirement  from  the 
communal  life  which  characterizes  all  new  com- 
munities. The  exclusion  from  public  affairs  had 
come  very  gradually,  but  seemed  to  tlie  warm- 
hearted old  man  a  real  death  in  life.     Gradually, 


32  TiiK  Hip-roof  House. 

hut  certainly,  liis  world  Lad  iiaiTowed  to  the 
two  (diildi'cii,  whose  l»eiiel'aet<»r  he  had  once 
lioped  to  he,  hut  to  whom  he  now  hitterly  be- 
lieved he  liad  heconie  a  l)urdcn. 

Up  to  his  last  stroke,  Daddy  Wangh  would 
probably  have  counted  among  the  incumbrances 
of  the  Hip-roof  House  the  two  young  people 
who  lived  alone  with  him,  and  were,  in  fact, 
the  stay  of  his  life.     Lucinda  AVaugh  was  the 
bequest  of  his  unfortunate  son,  and,  despite  his 
misfortunes,  the  old  man  had  never  intimated, 
by  word  or  look  that  the  tall,  graceful  girl,  now 
budding  into  womanhood,  had  ever  been  a  bur- 
den.     She  and  her  boy  playmate,  indeed,  had 
seemed   the   children   of   their   old   age   to   the 
kindly   couple   whose   care   they   had   received, 
and  this  kindness  had  borne  a  rich  fruitage  of 
devotion   in   their   young   hearts.      Their   lives 
had  not  been  especially  hard.     They  had  never 
known  want,   and  the  frugal  life   about   them 
had  made  them  unconscious  even  of  poverty. 
They   had   grown   old   somewhat  beyond   their 
years  by  the  necessity  for  self-direction  which 


Its  Inmates.  33 

had  fallen  upon  them,  and  bore  perhaps  a  more 
intimate  relation  to  each  other  than  they  would 
have  done  but  for  this  conmion  burden  of  re- 
sponsibility. 

Joe  Thompson  had  come  curiously  enough 
into  Daddy  AVaugh's  household.  A  man  draw- 
ing a  rude  cart,  containing  a  few  necessary  arti- 
cles and  furnishing  a  means  of  transportation  for 
a  sturdy  boy  of  three  years  old,  had  stopped  at 
the  farm-house  one  sultry  summer  evening,  and 
asked  for  a  night's  lodging.  It  was  long  before 
the  days  of  tramps,  and  in  that  region  no  door 
was  ever  closed  to  one  asking  shelter  or  refresh- 
ment. The  favor  was  accorded  in  this  case  all 
the  more  readily  because  the  wayfarer  seemed 
■worn  w'ith  fatigue,  and  the  pallid  face,  great 
mournful  eyes,  and  transparent  hands  told  of 
a  frame  enfeebled  by  disease.  During  the  even- 
ing the  stranger  told  the  outlines  of  his  stor}'. 
He  had  married  a  young  wife  against  the  wishes 
of  her  parents  in  one  of  the  Eastern  States,  and 
taken  her  to  the  great  AVest  to  seek  their  for- 
tunes. It  was  a  story  all  too  common  in  that 
3 


34  The  Hip-roof  House. 

day.  The  fortune  which  they  sought,  eluded 
all  their  efforts.  The  frail  young  wife  soon  suc- 
cumbed to  the  burthens  of  maternity,  hardship, 
and  want.  The  father  struggled  on  until  as- 
sured that  the  end  was  near  and  inevitable. 
His  poverty  forbade  his  traveling  by  any  public 
conveyance,  and  so  he  started  on  foot  to  comply 
with  his  dying  wife's  request,  and  take  their 
child  to  her  father's  home  on  the  Xew  England 
hillside.  He  had  crossed  one  State  and  almost 
reached  the  eastern  boundary  of  another. 
There  were  only  two  more — two  and  a  day's 
journey  into  a  third — and  his  task  would  be 
complete.  He  hoped  to  live  to  see  the  end.  He 
must  live,  he  would  live,  to  see  that  time,  he 
said,  with  a  strange  light  in  his  wan  eyes.  After 
that,  he  wanted  nothing  more.  If  he  could  only 
know  that  his  boy  would  be  cared  for,  he  could 
die,  and  go  to  her  who,  he  was  sure,  still  loved 
and  watched  over  him.     This  was  his  story. 

Killis  AVaugh  and  his  wife  listened  with 
sympathetic  tears.  The  stranger  retired  early. 
He  was  weary  and  worn.     He  wished  to  start 


Its  Inmates.  35 

before  the  sun  rose,  to  avoid  the  dust  and  heat. 
Ere  the  morning  dawned  liis  jonrney  was  ended. 
The  man  had  felt  so  snre  of  Hving  to  perform 
liis  task  that  he  had  left  no  written  directions 
by  which  another  could  finish  it  in  case  of  his 
default.  He  had  told  his  story  without  giving 
names.  That  peculiar  reticence  which  always 
leads  those  of  New  England  stock  to  hide  with 
zealous  care  whatever  may  be  thought  unpleas- 
ant or  discreditable  with  regard  to  themselves 
or  family,  had  sealed  his  mouth  to  everything 
but  the  outlines  of  his  sad  story. 

Killis  Waugh  and  his  brave  wife  did  not 
shrink  at  the  added  burden  imposed  on  their 
old  age.  Their  son's  child  was  already  installed 
in  the  cradle,  but  this  waif  of  the  go-cart  was 
not  denied  a  home.  There  were  not  wanting 
those  who  declared  that,  by  refusing  to  send  the 
unknown  foundling  to  the  connty-house,  the 
worthy  couple  were  only  rendering  more  certain 
and  speedy  their  own  journey  thither.  To  such 
Killis  Waugh  had  l)ut  one  reply: 

"Sho,  sho!    His  folks  '11  probably  find  him  in 


36  The  Hip-roof  House. 

the  course  of  a  year  or  so,  and  in  ihe  meantime, 
you  know,  it  \s  only  a  little  more  water  in  the 
porridge.  You  see  we  've  got  one  bahy  on  our 
hands,  and  it 's  just  as  easy  or  a  little  easier, 
to  take  care  of  two  than  one." 

So  it  was  that  Joe  Thompson  became  a  deni- 
zen of  the  Hip-roof  House,  and  grew  up  to 
enter  an  emphatic  protest  against  Daddy 
Waugh's  proposal  to  surrender  its  possession. 
After  a  few  days  the  enthusiasm  of  the  young 
people  began  to  infect  the  old  man  also.  At 
any  rate,  the  few  neighbors  who  called  to  see 
what  steps  would  be  taken  as  to  the  sale  of  the 
property,  which  was  regarded  as  certain,  now 
that  Josiah  Perkins  had  made  demand  for  his 
money,  were  surprised  to  find  that  its  occupants 
expected  to  continue  in  possession  despite  the 
mortgagee's  demand. 

"I  '11  tell  you  what,  daddy,"  said  Joe,  stoutly, 
after  every  phase  of  the  question  had  been  dis- 
cussed again  and  again,  "  'Siah  Perkins  ain't 
goin'  to  git  the  Hip-roof  House.  You  just 
make  your  mind  easy  'bout  that.     You  're  goin' 


Its  Inmates.  37 

to  live  in  it  as  long  as  you  want  to,  and  after 
that  'Cindy  and  me  are  goin'  to  live  in  it  by 
ourselves.     Ain't  that  so,  'Cindy  f 

''I — I  guess  so,  Joe,"  said  the  girl,  not  over 
confidently. 

^'AVell,  I  know  it,"  asserted  the  boy. 

"But  how — how  are  you  goin'  to  manage  it, 
Joey?"  queried  the  old  man,  anxious  for  a 
chance  to  believe. 

"AVell,  I  do  n't  exactly  know  just  how,"  said 
the  boy;  "but  I  'm  goin'  to  find  a  way.  I  think, 
the  first  thing,  I  '11  go  and  see  Lawyer  ]\Iarvin, 
over  to  the  village,  and  find  out  if  we  can't  hold 
on  until  after  apple-harvesting.  Then,  I  '11  go 
on  the  Lake,  and  leave  'Cindy  to  take  care  of 
you  and  look  after  things  during  the  summer." 

"Law,  child,  what  '11  that  amount  to  I 
Wages  ain't  notliin',  an'  there  's  two  men  to 
every  place,  let  alone  boys.  "What  do  you  sup- 
pose you  could  earn,  if  you  had  a  place?" 

"O,  if  I  had  a  place  I  could  get  a  good 
deal — as  much  as  four  or  five  dollars  a  month. 
That 's  what  Frank  Bidwell  gets,  and  he  is  n't 


38  The  Hip-koof  House. 

iinicli  bigger  tlian  T  am,  and  never  set  foot  on  a 
boat  before  this  year.'' 

"Eive  dollars  a  month!  AVhat  would  that 
come  to?"  the  old  man  queried,  despondingly, 

^'Tt  's  something,  grandpa,"  said  'Cindy, 
cheeringlj.     ''It  '11  pay  the  interest,  anyhow." 

"Probably  't  would  if  we  only  had  somebody 
to  take  the  mortgage  up,  and  wait  till  we  could 
pay   it   by   littles." 

"If  w^e  do  n't  begin  earning  we  '11  never  be- 
gin paying,"  said  the  boy,  sententiously. 

"But  the  Lake  ain't  no  tit  place  for  you,  Joey. 
It 's  a  hard  life  with  rough  people.  I  could  n't 
think  of  yer  goin'  on  one  of  them  big  boats, 
Joey." 

"I  s'pose  a  big  boat  ain't  no  worse  'n  a  little 
one,"  replied  Joe;  "and  they  pay  more,  and 
there  's  more  likely  to  be  a  chance  there  tliau 
anywhere  else.     So,  I  'm  going." 

"Well,"  said  the  old  man,  "if  you  must,  you 
must.  I  wonder  if  you  could  n't  get  a  place 
with  Davy  Moxom?" 


Its  Inmates.  39 

"Who  is  lie,  daddy?" 

"Hain't  ye  never  heard  me  tell  of  Davy 
Moxom?" 

"You  do  n't  mean  the  one  that  ehored  for 
you  once?" 

"Of  course  I  do." 

"Vriicre  is  he  now?" 

""Why,  he's  Captain  of  the  Queen  of  the 
West." 

"Him  that  the  sailors  call  "^Old  Ironsides?'  " 

"I  presume  so;  that 's  what  the  hoys  used  to 
call  him  when  he  went  to  the  Academy." 

"Is  he  so  very  crusty,  grandpa?" 

It  was  'Cindy  who  asked.  Joe  was  in  a 
brown  study. 

"Crusty?  Xo, — just  kind  o'  serious-like. 
They  called  him  'Old  Ironsides'  because  the 
only  piece  he  would  ever  speak  at  school  was 
abcut  that  ship.  How  did  it  begin?  I  re- 
member the  first  time  I  ever  saw  it,  same  as  if 
't  was  yesterday.  It  was  somewhere  about  the 
time  Davy  Moxom  was  boardin'  here.     Queer 


40  The  Hip-roof  HoUvSE. 

I  eau't  remember  it.  Let  me  see.  It  begun 
something  like  this: 

'Ay,  tear  her  tattered  ensign  ilown! 

Long  has  it  waved  on  high ; 
And  many  an  eye  has  danced  to  see 

That  banner  in  the  sky.' 

There  was  n't  but  two  or  three  verses,  but 
Davy  was  powerful  fond  of  it,  and  spoke  it 
every  time  it  came  his  turn.  They  used  to  say 
he  got  it  off  in  fine  style.  So  the  boys  gave 
him  the  nickname.  From  what  they  say  of 
him  sence,  they  were  n't  far  wrong,  neither. 
He  was  a  born  sailor,  though,  if  ever  there  was 
one." 

"Daddy  Waugh,"  spoke  up  Joe,  wdth  sharp 
emphasis. 

"Yes,  Joe,  I  hear  ye.  'T  ain't  no  need  to 
holler  at  me  so." 

"Could  n't  you  write  a  letter  to  Captain 
Moxom,  asking  him  to  take  me  on  his  boat  if 
there  's  a  place?" 

"  'T  ain't  at  all  likely  there  is,  my  son,"  an- 
swered the  old  man,  gravely. 

"Won't  never  know  unless  we  trv." 


Return  from  the  Village. 


See  page  41. 


Its  Inmates.  41 

"True,  true.  ^Vliy,  yes,  I  s'pose  I  could. 
'T  ain't  no  ways  sartin'  he  'd  pay  any  attention 
to  it  though."  Yet  it  was  evident  the  idea 
pleased  him. 

"He  can't  any  more  'n  say  'no,'  "  said  the 
boy,  "and  I  'm  going  to  try  him,  anyhow.  Do 
you  s'pose  Mr.  ]\Iarvin  knows  him?" 

"I  can't  be  right  sure,  my  son,  but  I  think 
it  more  'n  likely  they  was  at  school  together. 
They  're  jest  about  of  an  age,  I  should  say,  or 
not  fur  from  it.  Let  me  see,  it  must  be  near 
twenty  years  sence  he  was  here.  I  s'pose  he  's 
forgot  all  about  me  by  this  time." 

"You  jest  write  the  letter,  daddy,  and  I  '11 
find  out." 

The  next  day  Joe  visited  the  village,  and 
returned  with  the  welcome  intelligence  that 
Perkins  could  not  obtain  possession  by  fore- 
closure before  jS^ovember,  and  that  it  was  quite 
possible  some  one  might  be  found  to  take  up 
the  mortgage  and  continue  the  loan.  The  law- 
yer had  approved  the  boy's  resolution,  and 
cheerfully  given  him  a  letter  to  Captain  Moxom, 


42  TiiK  Hip-roof  House. 

though  telling  him  frankly  that  he  did  not 
think  any  number  of  letters  Avoiild  be  of  service 
with  "Old  Ironsides."  Encouraged  by  this  suc- 
cess, the  old  man  prepared  his  letter,  and  Joe, 
with  the  two  missives  in  his  pocket,  started  to 
board  the  boat  commanded  by  Captain  ;^roxom, 
the  most  relentless  disciplinarian  who  ever 
sailed  "the  Lakes." 


Chapter  III. 

THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  WEST. 

IT  was  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  Joe 
reached  the  harbor.  The  Qneen  of  the  West 
was  expected  at  daylight.  It  was  May,  hnt  the 
air  was  raw  out  on  the  pier,  against  which  the 
waves  splashed  sullenly,  for  a  steady  swell  came 
creeping  in  under  the  light  fog,  though  there 
was  no  wind.  Joe  shivered  as  he  waited,  cling- 
ing to  his  little  bundle.  Two  or  three  schooners 
were  in  the  harbor,  taking  on  or  discharging 
cargo.  Xo  one  was  astir  aboard  them  at  that 
hour.  Their  rigging  creaked  and  rattled  as 
they  rose  and  fell  with  the  waves.  Joe  noted 
everything,  and  felt  homesick  at  the  outset.  He 
had  often  been  at  the  harbor,  but  it  looked  very 
strange  in  the  dim  misty  morning.  There  were 
a  number  of  passengers  waiting  for  the  incom- 
ing steamer  in  the  bar-room  of  the  tavern  at 

the  end  of  the  wharf,  and  several  men  lying 

43 


44  Thk  Hip-kuof  House. 

asleep  among  the  loose  freight.  Joe  wondered 
Avhy  they  should  choose  such  a  place  to  sleep. 
One  of  the  travelers  waiting  for  the  steamer 
told  him  they  were  sailors,  and  drunk.  Joe 
shuddered,  and  almost  wished  that  he  had  not 
come. 

Suddenly  out  of  the  mist  and  the  waves 
sprang  the  steamer.  It  seemed  like  a  great, 
malignant  monster  bearing  down  upon  the 
little  town  with  full  intent  to  raze  and  de- 
stroy. Black  smoke  poured  out  of  its  two 
great  pipes,  the  engine  puffed  and  roaix'd,  and 
the  tall  wdieel-house  rose  above  three  spa- 
cious but  almost  deserted  decks.  There  came 
the  bellow  of  escaping  steam,  tlie  straining  of 
ropes,  the  clangor  of  command,  the  rush  of 
noisy  feet,  a  crowd  of  eager  i^assengers,  the 
steady  rumble  of  barrels  and  boxes  rolled  and 
thrown  from  l)oat  to  dock,  and  from  dock  to 
boat,  cries,  curses,  and  that  overwhelming  con- 
fusion that  reduces  the  individual  to  a  nonen- 
tity— that  confusion  which  is  really  imperious 


The  Queen  of  the  West.  45 

order,  lieing  only  the  eager  struggle  of  many 
for  a  coiuiuoii  purpose. 

The  Queen  of  the  AVest  was  a  marvel.  Her 
paddle-wheels  were  said  to  be  wdder  and  higher 
than  any  that  had  ever  been  built  before,  and 
it  is  an  historical  fact  that  none  have  rivaled 
them  since.  Thirty-two  feet  from  rim  to  rim, 
and  eleven  feet  from  edge  to  edge  were  those 
instruments  of  her  matchless  speed.  She  repre- 
sented a  curious  rebellion  against  the  accepted 
laws  of  marine  mechanics.  Though  built  for 
speed,  she  was  wide  and  flat,  rather  than  long 
and  narrow;  and  though  traversing  some  of  the 
worst  waters  in  the  world,  her  woodwork  was  of 
singular  lightness.  Though  intended  for  pas- 
sengers, she  carried  an  immense  amount  of 
freight,  not  regularly  packed  in  a  closed  and 
battened  hold,  but  heaped  indiscriminately,  it 
seemed,  between  her  decks.  But  with  all  her 
incongruities,  the  Queen  of  the  West  was 
worthy  of  her  fame  and  the  patronage  she  re- 
ceived.     Whatever  might   have   been  her   de- 


46  The  Hii'-rook  House. 

fects,  she  was  achniraLly  a(lai)ted  for  speed  and 
comfort  <»n  the  clio})py  waves  of  the  groat  lakes. 
Her  hull  was  stauiieh,  and  her  cahnis  and  sa- 
loons would  even  at  this  da}'  be  thought  luxuri- 
ous. Everybody  knew  that  if  her  fires  Avere  put 
out,  her  engine  disabled,  or  her  great  paddle- 
wheels  broken  in  mid-lake,  she  would  be  at  the 
mercy  of  wind  and  wave;  and  nowhere  in  the 
world  are  winds  more  furious  or  waves  more 
pitiless  than  on  these  blue  unsalted  waters  which 
the  ocean  sailor  affects  to  despise.  Everybody 
said  that  sooner  or  later  her  time  would  come. 
Yet  she  went  on  her  way  year  after  year,  bear- 
ing thousands  of  precious  lives  in  safety.  Her 
owners  laughed  at  croakers,  and  pointed  to  the 
fact  that  she  had  never  lost  a  passenger,  been 
compelled  to  throw  over  a  pound  of  freight,  or 
tie  up  a  single  day  for  repairs.  The  argument 
from  experience  always  overpowers  the  reason- 
ing based  on  analogy.  So  the  public  not  only 
patronized  the  Queen  of  the  West,  but  were  as 
proud  of  her  achievements  as  her  owners  and 
crew  themselves.     The  fare  was  excellent,  the 


The  Queen  of  the  West.  47 

officers  obliging,  the  accoiniuodations  of  the 
best,  and  the  lioat  always  on  time.  AVho  won- 
ders the  traveling  public  regulated  their  goings 
and  comings  by  her  trips?  In  those  days  of  dirt 
and  discomfort,  neatness,  dispatch,  and  courtesy 
were  qualities  worth  considering. 

There  was  an  element  of  the  Queen's  suc- 
cess, however,  which  did  not  depend  on  her 
builder's  skill  or  faithfulness;  Captain  David 
Moxom  commanded  her.  Born  upon  the  shore 
of  one  of  the  great  lakes,  he  had  heard  in  boy- 
hood the  echo  of  Perry's  guns,  and  had  seen  the 
battered  fleet  and  its  still  worse  battered  prizes, 
when  they  sought  the  shelter  of  a  friendly  lee 
soon  after  the  fight.  The  sight  caught  his  boy- 
ish fancy,  and  gave  him  not  only  inclination  for 
life  afloat,  but  aspiration  for  command.  Early 
left  dependent  on  his  own  exertions  for  support, 
he  went  on  the  lakes  during  the  summer,  and 
attended  school  during  the  'winter  while  navi- 
gation was  closed.  He  came  to  be  acquainted 
with  Daddy  AVaugh  through  having  "chored'' 
for  him  while  attending  a  school  of  repute  in 


48  The  Hip-roof  House. 

the  neighboring  village.  This  school  was  taught 
l)y  a  master  wlm  had  n«>t  (inly  received  a  clas- 
sical education,  hut,  what  was  of  far  more  value 
to  young  Moxom,  had,  by  some  freak  of  for- 
tune, been  for  a  time  a  seafaring  man.  Of  him, 
the  "chore-boy"  learned  figures,  accounts,  and 
something  of  navigation.  This  was  his  educa- 
tion— a  good  solid  basis  on  which  he  thereafter 
built,  by  reading  and  observation,  more  broadly 
than  might  have  been  expected.  He  was  a 
fresh-water  sailor  of  a  type  by  no  means  rare 
in  that  region  thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  as  un- 
like the  ordinary  nautical  man  as  can  well  be 
imagined,  yet  by  no  means  to  be  despised  for 
lack  of  seamanship. 

David  ]\Ioxom  was  a  quiet  man,  whose  few 
words  were  spoken  in  calm,  even  tones.  He 
had  little  need  of  strength  in  the  position  he 
now  occupied;  but  every  sailor  on  the  lakes 
knew  by  experience  or  tradition  the  power  of 
his  right  arm.  He  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian, 
though  there  was  none  of  the  debasing  servility 
among  the  sailors  of  the  merchant  fleet  upon 


The  Queen  of  the  West.  49 

the  lakes  that  is  found  among  the  forecastle 
hands  on  salt  waters.     The  men  were  usually 
of  the  same  social  rank  as  the  mates  and  cap- 
tain, and  when  the  boat  went  into  winter  (quar- 
ters, would  probably  go  back  to  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, and  be  just  as  highly  regarded  by  the 
community.      Indeed,   it   was  not   at   that   day 
an  unusual  thing  for  young  men  preparing  for 
college  to  ser^'e  as  sailors  during  the  summer 
months,  and  complete  their  academic  course  in 
the  winter.  With  such  men  to  choose  from,  Cap- 
tain Moxom  had  little  trouble  in  securing  com- 
petent subordinates  and  an  effective  crew.     He 
was  considered  a  hard  man  to  serve  under;  yet 
situations  on  the   Queen  were  eagerly  sought 
after.     Xo  sick  maiL  ever  suifered  for  lack  of 
attention,  and  no  well  man  shirked  duty  there. 
The  captain  made  no  bluster;  Imt  he  knew  every 
man's  place  and  every  man's  duty,  and  saw  that 
it  was  performed.     He  never  interfered  with  a 
subordinate  while  on  duty,  and  never  relieved 
him  of  responsibility  unless  absolutely  neces- 
sary.    He  was  always  standing  by  the  wheel- 
4 


50  The  Hip-roof  House. 

house  when  the  boat  was  coming  into  port,  but 
beyond  a  wave  of  the  hand  to  tlie  mate  or  a 
bow  to  some  acquaintance  on  the  docks,  he 
seemed  hardly  to  notice  what  was  going  on. 
Vet  every  one  knew  that  no  detail  of  the  boat's 
working  escaped  his  attention.  The  rubbing 
of  an  unoiled  bearing  would  bring  him  to  the 
engine-room  without  delay,  and  a  failure  to 
polish  the  brass  stair-plate  would  lose  a  steward 
his  place. 

This  man  was  the  real  secret  of  the  Queen's 
success.  He  was  one  of  her  chief  owners,  and 
neglected  nothing  necessary  to  maintain  her 
reputation.  He  was  indifferent  to  fatigue,  and 
commanded  the  confidence  of  his  crew  by  being 
always  awake  and  prepared  for  emergency. 
Any  considerable  change  in  the  weather  would 
bring  him  out  of  h'^^  cabin,  yet  he  rarely  took 
command  in  person.  "When  he  did,  everybody 
knew  that  he  considered  the  emergency  press- 
ing. There  were  rumors  of  storms  in  which  he 
had  placed  himself  at  the  wheel,  and  brought  her 
safely  through  the  most  intricate  and  dangerous 


Thk  Queen  of  the  West.  51 

passages  of  the  Flats.  ''He  knows  her  weight 
to  a  pound/'  the  pilots  were  aeenstonied  to  say, 
"and  can  carry  her  safe  where  nobody  else 
would  think  of  trying  to  take  her."  He  never 
lounged  with  his  passengers  or  chatted  with  his 
subordinates.  A  man  of  quick  resource,  inflex- 
ible will,  and  untiring  attention  to  his  business, 
was  Captain  David  ^Moxoni  of  the  Queen  of  the 
AVest.  but  a  cold,  hard  man,  with  whom  no  one 
trifled,  and  to  whom  few  ever  had  the  courage 
to  appeal  for  favor.  This  was  the  person  to 
whom  Joe's  letter  was  addressed.  The  boy  saw 
the  cpiiet  figure  on  the  wdieel-house,  and  knew 
through  subtle  intuition  that  it  was  by  his  care 
that  almost  a  thousand  passengers  slept  peace- 
fully and  securely.  He  judged  that  Daddy 
Waugh's  intercession  would  prove  of  little 
avail,  and  feared  that  the  same  would  be  true 
of  Mr.  Marvin's.  Xevertheless,  he  shouldered 
his  bundle,  and  trudged  sturdily  aboard  almost 
as  soon  as  the  gang-plank  touched  the  wharf. 


Chapter  IV. 

JOE'S  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  ON  THE  BOAT. 

""V/"  OV  want  to  see  the  captain?  He  's  asleep, 
■*■  and  would  n't  see  you  if  he  was  awake. 
\Yhere  are  you  going?" 

"jSTowhere." 

"Xowhere?  The  Queen's  going  somewhere 
pretty  lively,  and  you  're  aboard  of  her,  ain't 
youT' 

'*0f  course,  hut  I  ain't  going  anywhere — at 
least,  not  till  I  see  the  captain." 

"Indeed!  'Xot  till  you  see  the  captain?' 
Shan't  I  run  right  up  to  his  state-room  and 
l)ring  him  down  to  you?" 

"O,  I  can  wait  till  he  gets  up." 

"The  mischief  you  can  I     Xow,  see  here,  my 

boy,  I  'm  pretty  good-natured,  but  I  can't  stand 

everything.     Just  tell  me  where  you  're  going, 

and  pay  your  fare  like  a  little  man,  without  any 

more  fooling." 
52 


Experience  ox  the:  Boat.  53 

"My  fare?" 

"Yes,  your  fare." 

"I  have  n't  any  money." 

"Then  \vhat  are  you  on  hoard  the  Queen  of 
the  AVest  for?  People  do  n't  travel  on  her  with- 
out money." 

"I  came  to  see  the  captain." 

"O,  you  did  I  He  '11  he  highly  honored,  no 
doubt;  hut  he  don't  carry  passengers  for  fun. 
Xow,  you  just  fork  over  the  money  for  your 
passage,  or  I  shall  have  to  take  that  bundle  of 
yours,  and  put  you  ashore  at  the  first  landing." 

The  clerk  of  the  Queen  of  the  AVest,  passing 
through  the  boat  after  she  had  left  the  dock, 
had  found  Joe  on  the  lower  deck,  sitting  on  a 
piece  of  baggage  with  his  little  bundle  beside 
him,  ^vatching  in  quiet  wonder  the  new  and 
bustling  scene  about  him.  Behind  the  clerk 
was  a  colored  waiter  in  a  white  jacket,  whose 
business  it  seemed  to  be  to  point  out  the  new 
passengers  to  the  collector  of  fares.  This  man 
could  not  restrain  his  mirth  at  Joe's  replies, 
and   his   laughter  seemed   to   annoy   the   clerk. 


54  The  Hip-roof  House. 

Avlio,  as  lie  uttered  tlie  last  words,  reached  for- 
ward to  take  Joe's  bundle.  The  boy  was  too 
quick  for  him,  however,  and,  snatching  it  up, 
he  sprang  nimbly  to  one  side,  only  to  find  him- 
self confronted  by  the  colored  man,  barring 
his  escape.  Seeing  himself  hemmed  in,  the 
boy  backed  up  against  a  pile  of  freight,  put 
his  bundle  behind  him,  and  coolly  prepared  to 
do  battle  for  his  possessions. 

''You  hain't  got  no  right  to  take  my  things," 
he  protested,  ''and  you-  shan't — you,  nor  your 
nigger,  either.'' 

"Take  it  away  from  him,  Tom,"  said  the 
clerk,  quietly;  "we  've  had  enough  of  these  beg- 
gars sponging  rides.  It  was  only  last  trip 
the  old  man  gave  me  a  rating  for  letting  a  little 
scamp  beat  me  out  of  a  fare." 

"I  ain't  no  beggar,"  said  Joe,  stoutly,  "and 
I  do  n't  want  to  beat  nobody  out  of  anything. 
I  've  got  a  letter  for  the  captain,  and  just  as 
quick  as  I  got  aboard,  I  asked  the  red-whiskered 
man  that  was  chawing  tobacco  and  swearing 
at  the  hands,  where  the  captain  was,  and  he  told 


Experience  on  the  Boat.  55 

me  to  sit  right  down  here  and  he  'd  see  't  I  got 
sight  of  him  after  a  while." 

"Bring  the  bnndle  along,  Tom,"  was  the 
clerk's  answer,  impatiently  turning  toward  the 
companion-way;  "we  can't  waste  any  more  time 
on  the  little  whelp.  If  he  won't  pay  we  shall 
have  to  take  his  truck  and  put  him  off  at  Erie." 

The  porter  was  a  jolly  fellow,  who  had  no 
idea  of  declining  to  do  what  he  was  told.  At 
the  same  time  he  had  no  wish  to  hurt  the  lad. 
He  knew  very  well  the  clerk's  only  moti^•e  was 
to  frighten  him  into  paying  his  fare.  Joe,  how- 
ever, had  never  seen  a  colored  person  but  once 
or  twice,  and  regarded  them  as  little  better  than 

ogres. 

"Don't  touch  me,  you  black  nigger,"  he 
screamed,  putting  himself  into  an  attitude  of 
defense  as  the  porter  came  towards  him. 

"Xow,  bub,"  said  the  Xegro,  in  a  not  un- 
kindly tone,  "you  jes  ez  well  fork  out  your 
money  an'  go  'long  peaceable-like,  kase  ef  yer 
do  n't  1  'se  bound  ter  take  that  ar  bundle  of 
ole  clo'es,  shore. 


56  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"You  '11  get  hurt  if  you  touch  me,"  said  the 
boy,  drawing  down  his  heavy  brows  until  they 
veiled  the  angry  light  of  the  eyes  below. 

"La,  chile,  who  you  s'pose  is  afeard  on  ye? 
Ef  you  was  a  man  grow'd,  now,  I  would  n't 
min'  takin'  a  bout  with  ye,  but  't  would  n't  be 
no  sort  o'  fun  to  hab  a  squabble  with  a  bit  uv 
a  boy  like  yo  is." 

Speaking  in  this  pacificatory  tone,  the  man 
had  been  artfully  edging  nearer  to  the  sullen 
lad,  and,  as  he  concluded,  made  a  sudden  dive 
for  the  bundle  which  lay  at  the  boy's  feet.  If 
the  movement  was  a  surprise  to  the  owner,  he 
quickly  recovered  from  it,  and  before  his  as- 
sailant could  remove  his  prize,  two  hands  were 
locked  in  the  mass  of  kinky  hair  that  adorned 
his  head.  A  curious  struggle  ensued.  Despite 
the  disproportion  in  size,  the  advantage  seemed 
for  a  time  to  be  with  Joe.  Holding  down  the 
porter's  head,  he  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  use  his  hands  to  support  himself,  and  so  the 
boy  was  protected  from  blows.  The  clerk,  hear- 
ing the  noise  of  the  scuffle,  returned  to  the  foot 


Experience  ox  the  Boat.  57 

of  the  gangway,  and  stood  convulsed  with 
laughter  at  the  ludicrous  spectacle. 

''Hang  on  to  hun,  youngster,"  he  cried. 
''Do  n't  let  him  butt  you.  If  you  manage  to 
tame  that  black  sheep,  I  '11  be  hanged  if  you 
don't  ride  free,  if  I  have  to  pay  your  fare 
myself." 

The  Xegro,  on  hands  and  knees,  pushed  the 
boy  about  the  deck,  endeavoring  to  get  hold  of 
his  feet.  Hearing  the  clerk's  laughter,  a  volley 
of  curiously  compounded  oaths  burst  from  his 
lips.  Suddenly,  he  threw  himself  on  his  back, 
and  catching  the  boy,  who  thus  lost  his  van- 
tage, sprang  quickly  to  his  feet.  Holding  him 
at  arm's  length,  he  gave  Joe  blow  after  blow 
with  open  palm  upon  the  side  of  his  head. 

"Kick  his  shins'.  Kick  his  shins!''  shouted 
the  clerk,  nearly  suffocated  with  laughter. 

The  boy,  maddened  and  desperate  as  he  was, 
recalled  the  popular  tradition  and  applied  his 
heavy  boots  with  merciless  force  to  the  point  in- 
dicated. Unable  to  endure  the  pain,  the  por- 
ter's temper  gave  way,  and,  with  a  hnal  l»low 


58  Thk  Hii'-Roop  House. 

M'itli  his  fist,  he  knocked  his  turmentcr  back 
upon  the  deck.  As  he  did  so,  some  one  leaped 
from  the  darkness  at  the  side  of  the  gangway, 
and  seizing  the  Xegro,  hurled  him  against  the 
piled-up  baggage  as  if  he  had  been  a  child.  At 
the  same  time,  with  a  spluttering  admixture 
of  oaths  and  salivation,  he  exclaimed: 

''What  d  'je  mean?  AVhat  ye  doin'  with  that 
boy?  What  ye  here  for  anyhow?  You — you 
miserable  black  rascal?' 

"I  was  jes  obeyin'  orders,  sah,"  said  the  ob- 
sequious porter,  picking  himself  up. 

''Orders!     Whose  orders?"' 

"Mr.  Slocum's,  sah,"  with  a  gesture  toward 
the  clerk,  now  vainly  struggling  to  restrain  his 
mirth. 

"What  business  has  he  got  givin'  orders  and 
assaulting  passengers  on  my  deck?" 

'"The  boy  would  n't  })ay  his  fare,"  began  the 
clerk. 

"S'pose  he  did  n't,"  spluttered  the  irate 
sailor.  "Did  n't  he  tell  ye  I  told  him  to  set  there 
till  I  got  time  to  take  him  to  the  'old  man?'  " 


Experience  on  the  Boat.  59 

"Yes,"  admitted  tlie  clerk,  alarmed  at  tlio 
trouble  he  had  innocently  gotten  into. 

"And  "was  n't  he  settin'  there  as  peaceable  as 
a  kitten?" 

"Yes,  but—" 

"Do  n't  you  say  another  word,  Gil  Slocum, 
not  another  word,  er  I  shan't  be  able  to  keep 
my  hands  off  ye.  I  feel 's  if  I  ought  to  whip 
both  on  ye.  D  'ye  hear,  l)oth  on  ye  ?  But  I 
won't.  Xot  now,  anyway.  AVhen  we  get  to 
Buffalo,  we  '11  see  which  the  old  man  cares  most 
about  keepin',  Gil  Slocum  an'  a  nigger,  or  Jesse 
:N^ewlin." 

"'Really,  Mr.  Xewliu,''  said  the  clerk,  who 
was  both  manly  and  good-natured,  "there  was 
no   idea   of   interfering   with   your   authority.'' 

"I  s'pose  not — s'pose  not,"  answered  i^Tewlin, 
expectorating  vigorously;  "but  you  hadn't  no 
business  pryin'  round  here  and  meddlin'  with 
the  boy,  nolu.w.  AVe  don't  carry  any  cabin 
passengers  on  the  lower  deck — not  while  I  'm 
in  charge  at  least,  Mr.  Slocum." 

"But  you  see,  Mr.  Xewlin,  the  old  man  is 


60  Thk  IIii'-RooF  House. 

sure  to  know  just  liow  niauy  coiiif  ou  aud  go 
off  at  every  port,  and  hold  lae  responsible  for 
every  passenger,  no  matter  where  ho  rides." 

"I  do  n't  carry  passengers  here  without  mak- 
ing it  right  witli  the  ohl  man,  Mr.  Slocum. 
You  know  that,  and  you  were  n't  never  held 
responsible  for  any  one  that  rode  here  ^vhen  it 
was  my  v;atcli  below." 

"Perhaps,  Mr.  Xewlin — "  began  the  clerk. 

"There  ain't  no  perhaps  about  it.  If  it  's 
got  so  that  I  can't  give  an  honest  boy  a  lift, 
during  my  trick  atween  decks,  I  '11  just  go  on 
some  other  boat  where  they  ain't  so  almighty 
particular.  That 's  all.  There,  there,  sonny," 
he  said,  patting  Joe  on  the  head  as  he  stood 
with  clenched  hands  and  tightly  shut  teeth, 
.drawing  long  sobs,  and  trying  to  repress  the 
tears  of  anger  rather  than  pain  that  ran  down 
his  cheeks. 

"But,  Mr.  Xewlin,  you  know  the  old  man 
holds  me  responsible — "  began  the  <derk  again. 

"'No,  I  do  n't  know  nothin'  of  the  kind  'bout 
the  old  man,"  spluttered  Xewlin.     "I  've  sailed 


Experience  ox  the  Boat.  61 

Avitli  liim  this  liere  will  make  the  tenth  year, 
and  I  guess  I  know  him.  lie  ain't  very  sliek 
about  the  mouth;  l)Ut  he  never  will  object  to  a 
man  that  tends  to  his  business,  doin'  a  feller- 
critter  a  decent  turn  now  and  then.  I  ain't 
very  soft-hearted  myself,  but  when  I  see  a  boy 
with  his  little  pack  a  waitin'  fer  a  lift,  I  always 
think  of  the  time  I  waited  fer  'most  a  week  to 
git  a  chance  to  cross  a  gang-plank.  Ye  see,  I 
war  n't  as  good  lookin'  a  boy  as  you  be,  sonny, 
even  if  Tom's  fist  has  kind  o'  spread  out  your 
nose  a  little.  A  douse  of  cold  water  '11  make 
that  all  right,  though." 

Tom,  despite  his  apprehension,  snickered  at 
this  allusion  to  the  squabble,  and  Joe,  looking 
up  into  his  benefactor's  face  to  thank  him,  could 
not  refrain  from  smiling. 

''So  you  do  n't  wonder  I  had  to  wait,"  said 
Xewlin,  jocosely.  ''AVal,  they  do  say  I  've  been 
growin'  handsomer  ever  sense,  an'  I  do  n't  think 
I  'm  any  great  beauty  yit." 

He  spat  vigorously,  and  laughed  at  his  own 
jest,   which  was  received   by   the   others   with 


62  The  Hii'-roof  House. 

liearty  shouts.  This  burst  of  good-nature  did 
nnudi  to  mollify  the  irate  sailor,  whose  homeli- 
ness was  of  phenomenal  character.  A  tall, 
'  lean  form,  with  stooping  shoulders,  was  united 
to  a  singularly  red,  almost  purple  visage,  cov- 
ered with  stubby  spots  of  carroty  beard,  and 
surmounted  by  a  short  shock  of  red  hair,  which 
defied  control,  while  his  light-blue  eyes  looked 
out  from  under  immense  brows  of  yellowish 
white.  Even  Joe  forgot  his  trouble,  and 
laughed  until  he  almost  cried  again  at  the 
thought  of  his  protector  in  the  role  of  an 
Adonis. 

"Wal,  Mr.  Slocum,"  said  Xewlin,  when  the 
mirth  had  somewhat  subsided,  "I  guess  there 
ain't  no  harm  done.  Tom  '11  have  to  give  the 
boy  a  square  meal  now,  to  make  up  fer  his 
rough  usage,  though." 

^•O,  T  '11  do  that  all  right,  sah,"  said  Tom, 
showing  his  teeth  with  delight. 

"You  see,  Mr.  Slocum,"  continued  Xewlin, 
"I  knew  this  here  was  an  honest  boy  the  minit 
I  set  eyes  on  him,  an'  when  he  stepped  up  to 


Experience  on  the  Boat.  63 

me  like  a  gentleman,  an'  seJ  lie  wanted  to  see 
the  eap'n,  1  'lowed  lie  wanted  to  get  a  lift  down 
the  lake,  an'  so  knew  the  old  man  was  the  very 
one  the  boy  did  n't  want  to  see.  He  ain't  mean, 
an'  kind  o'  likes  to  have  me  do  a  good  turn 
unbeknownst  to  him  until  arter  it 's  over,  you 
know.  The  eap'n  ain't  a  hard  man;  but  he's 
cap'n  of  the  Queen,  Mr.  Slocum,  an'  it  would  n't 
do  for  him  to  git  the  reputation  of  bein'  tender 
about  the  gills.  He  'd  be  imposed  on  half  the 
time,  for  he  ain't  stuck  up,  and  remembers  the 
time  he  wanted  a  lift  as  bad  as  this  here  boy 
does." 

'"I  do  n't  want  no  lift,  sir,"  said  Joe,  indig- 
nantly. 

''Ye  don't?  What  the  mischief  do  ye 
want,  thenf 

"I  want  to  see  the  captain — Captain  David 
Moxom.     I  've  got  a  letter  for  him." 

"The  dickens  you  have!  Why  didn't  you 
say  so?" 

"Xobody  gave  me  a  chance  to  say  so." 

"You're  about  right  there,"  sputtered  the 


64  The  Hip-roof  House. 

mate;  "but  don't  yon  i2,o  to  gittin'  Mr.  Slocnm 
into  trouble  with  any  complaint,  boy.  He 
did  n't  mean  no  harm ;  nor  Tom,  nuther,  though 
the  nigger  was  a  trifle  rough." 

'T  ain't  no  tale-bearer,"  said  Joe,  proudly. 

"Spoke  like  a  man,  l)y  jiminy,"  excdaimed 
the  mate,  slapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  and 
spitting  furiously  through  his  black,  stumpy 
teeth.  "What 's  yer  name,  son?  Joe?  A  good 
name,  a  good  Scripter  name,  that  ye  need  n't 
be  ashamed  of.  Ye  '11  make  a  good  man,  Joe, 
ef  ye  have  good  luck.  Hev  ye  ever  hed  the 
measles?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"An'  the  whoopin'  cough?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"An'  the  scarlet  fever?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Then  ef  ye  do  n't  get  the  big  head  ye  're  all 
right." 

Xewlin  laughed,  and  Mr.  Slocum  kindly 
offered  to  take  the  letter  to  the  captain  as  soon 
as  he  waked.     This  offer  Joe  declined,  saying 


Experience  on  the  Boat.  65 

that  he  was  directed  to  give  it  into  Captain 
Moxora's  hands,  himself.  Xewlin  commended 
him  for  obeying  orders,  but  assured  him  that 
he  would  n't,  on  no  account,  disturb  the  captain 
at  that  hour,  unless  it  was  a  matter  of  special 
concern  to  the  old  man. 

Joe  admitted  that  his  errand  was  not  likely 
to  be  very  important  to  the  captain,  but  might 
be  so  to  himself. 

''Jest  so,"  said  Xewlin,  with  a  confidential 
wink.  "Then  I  '11  tell  ye  what  I  'd  do,  son, 
if  I  was  you.  I  'd  jest  stay  around  quiet-like 
till  after  breakfast.  The  old  man  is  bound  to 
be  a  little  better-natured  than  common  then, 
which  ain't  sayin'  a  great  deal,  I  admit.  I  '11 
li'o  with  ve,  an'  if  he  do  n't  do  nothin'  more, 
he  can't  git  out  of  givin'  ye  a  free  ride  to 
Buffalo,  anyhow.  If  you  once  git  there,  I  guess 
you  can  find  a  job,  or  if  you  want  to  go  on 
East,  the  canal  's  open,  an'  you  ain't  the  boy  I 
take  ye  for,  if  ye  can't  follow  a  towpath  an' 
pick  up  a  livin'  ez  ye  go  along,  Xow  go  an' 
git  yer  breakfast.     'T  ain't  exactly  the  fashion- 


GQ  The  Hip-roof  House. 

able  hour  for  passengers,  but  you  won't  mind 
eatin'  with  tlio  liands,  I  take  it.  Tom  '11  sec 
after  you.  1  '11  look  fer  ye  to  be  on  hand  the 
minit  we  pass  the  breakwater  at  Erie  goin'  out." 
So  Joe  was  left  in  the  care  of  Tom,  who  was 
anxious  to  make  amends  for  his  rudeness 
through  a  consciousness  that  he  had  narrowly 
escaped  discharge  from  a  pleasant  and  profit- 
able position.  The  boy  could  not  have  had  a 
better  cicerone  in  making  his  first  tour  about 
the  boat,  which  was  the  pride  of  our  inland 
marine,  than  the  steward's  assistant,  nor  could 
he  have  had  two  better  friends  aboard  her,  sav- 
ing only  the  captain,  than  Jesse  Newlin,  the 
mate,  and  Gil  Slocum,  the  clerk,    , 


Chapter  V. 
AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  CAPTAIN. 

JOE  had  finished  a  substantial  breakfast  be- 
fore the  sun  rose.  After  a  time  the  gong 
sounded,  and  the  sleepy  passengers  began  to 
pour  forth  from  the  cabin  and  state-rooms,  and 
start  from  the  chairs  and  sofas.  It  seemed  as 
if  every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  great  vessel 
had  been  the  resting-place  of  a  passenger.  Old 
and  young,  male  and  female,  they  swarmed 
forth  in  all  sorts  of  attire,  and  in  the  most  un- 
certain moods  and  tempers.  The  bar  upon  the 
lower  deck  opened,  and  was  soon  crowded  with 
patrons,  anxious  to  prepare  their  stomachs  for 
the  breakfast  which  would  soon  be  served.  In 
that  day  many  more  people  drank  ardent  spirits, 
and  did  it  more  openly,  than  they  do  now. 
Tom  was  obliged  to  return  to  his  duties,  and 
Joe  wandered  at  will  about  the  boat.     After  a 

time  he  went  out  and  leaned  over  the  guards 

67 


68  The  Hip-roof  House. 

near  the  bow,  watching  the  water  as  it  sprang 
up  in  a  sparkling  curve  about  the  prow.  The 
morning  sunshine  lighted  the  ri])pling  waves; 
there  was  a  brisk  southerly  breeze,  and  the 
slaty  cliffs  of  the  shore-line  w^ere  crowned 
now  with  blossoming  orchards  or  newly-plowed 
fields,  and  now  with  gloomy  hemlock  forests. 
The  steady  throb  of  the  engine  was  in  the  boy's 
ears,  and  the  splash  of  the  great  wheels  as  they 
smote  with  ceaseless  stroke,  had  not  yet  ceased 
to  fill  his  mind  with  wonder.  The  scene  fired 
his  imagination,  and,  coupled  with  the  task  he 
had  undertaken  to  perform,  roused  him  to  he- 
roic ardor.  He  raised  his  hand,  and  uttered 
some  brave  words,  which  the  wind  swept  lightly 
away.  Xo  one  heard  them,  but  a  quiet  man 
standing  near,  noted  the  tone  and  saw  the  flush 
that  mounted  to  the  cheek.  He  smiled  and 
said: 

''You  seem  to  be  enjoying  yourself,  my  lad." 

'*0,"  answered  the  boy,  still  looking  off  over 

the   water,   ''it  is  grand!"      His  voice   thrilled 

with  emotion,  his  lip  quiA'ered,  and  the  observer 


An  Interview  with  the  Captain.     69 

wondered  if  there  Avere  not  tears  in  the  eyes 
that  were  fastened  on  the  bhie  expanse. 

"What  is  it  that  seems  so  grand  to  you?" 

"O,  everything,"  with  a  comprehensive  ges- 
ture toward  the  liorizon — "the  shy,  the  lake, 
the  sunrise,  and  this  beautiful  boat!" 

"Would  you  like  to  be  a  sailor  on  such  a 
craft  as  this?" 

"I  would  rather  be  that  than — than  be  a 
king,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  turning  to  his  ques- 
tioner, and  raising  his  eyes  to  his  face. 

"I  mean,  captain,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  apolo- 
getically, as  he  took  off  his  cap,  and  let  the  sun- 
shine play  upon  the  short,  brown  curls.  Cap- 
tain Moxom — for  it  was  he — noted  the  lad's 
embarrassment,  and  with  some  trivial  remark 
turned  and  left  him. 

Though  he  knew  himself  to  be  a  favorite 
with  his  superior  officer,  when  the  time  came 
for  its  accomplishment,  Jesse  Xewlin  was 
troubled  as  to  the  result  of  the  experiment 
he  had  determined  to  make.  Going  with  Joe 
towards  the  captain's  office,  as  the  double-cabin 


70  The  Hip-roof  House. 

he  occupied  was  called,  the  mate  screwed  his 
courage  to  the  sticking-point  l)y  cautioning  the 
boy. 

"Do  n't  you  be  afraid  of  the  old  man,"  he 
said,  "not  a  bit ;  he  's — he  's  a  bit  rough  some- 
times, and  apt  to  speak  sharp.  There  ain't  no 
need  on  't,  an'  it  do  n't  mean  anything — but 
it's  his  way — you  know — his  way;  and  the 
cap'n  's  way  is  law  and  gospel,  too,  when  you  're 
afloat.  But  do  n't  be  afraid — stan'  right  up  to 
him.  He  can't  eat  you, — an'  he  's  just  had  his 
breakfast,  if  he  could.  Tell  him  what  ye  want 
without  foolin',  an'  when  he  says  he 's  got 
enough,  you  just  'bout  ship  and  come  back  here 
to  the  gangway.  I  '11  be  there.  Xow  here  we 
are.  What 'd  ye  say  your  name  was?  Joe? 
Joe  what?  AVal,  now  you  stay  outside,  Joe, 
and  when  I  open  the  door  and  say,  -Come  in, 
Joe,'  you  just  take  off  your  cap  and  hold  it  up 
against  yer  breast,  in  yer  left  hand — so.  Take 
yer  letter  in  yer  right  hand,  and  step  in  smart 
and  active-like;  make  yer  best  bow,  an'  say, 
'Capt'in  Moxom,  here  's  a  letter  for  ye.'     You 


An  Interview  with  t-he  Captain.     71 

know  wlio  it  "s  from,  I  s'pose^  AVal,  you  miglit 
tell  liim  that,  if  it  's  anyLody  he  knows. 
Xow— " 

The  mate  looked  his  charge  over,  nodded 
his  head  in  approbation,  rapped  on  the  white 
door,  entered  when  gruffly  bidden,  and  closed  it 
behind  liiin.  Joe  remained  outside,  reading 
over  and  over  again  the  gilt  letters  across  the 
white  surface:   ''Captain." 

"■'I'here  was  a  boy  got  on  durin'  the  night, 
Cap'n,  that 's  got  an  errand  with  ye.'' 

''What  is  it?"  asked  the  captain,  quietly. 

"That 's  what  nobody  knows  but  him,  and 
he  won't  tell.    He  's  got  a  letter  for  ye." 

"Did  you  bring  it?" 

"He  won't  let  me  have  it." 

"He  won't?" 

"That 's  jest  it." 

"Let  him  keep  it,  then,"  said  the  captain, 
turning  to  his  desk. 

"  'T  would  n't  do  no  good,  captain.  He  's 
one  o'  them  boys  that  obey  orders.  There  ain't 
many  of  them,  perhaps,  but  he  's  one.     It 's  my 


72  The  Hip-koof  House. 

opinion  he  'd  jest  set  out  there  till  the  deck 
rotted  under  him,  but  he  'd  give  you  that  let- 
ter, himself." 

"Indeed, — then  I  may  as  well  see  him  first 
as  last,  especially  as  he  has  you  for  his  backer." 

"I  'm  much  obleeged  to  you,  captain.  I 
kind  o'  took  a  notion  to  the  boy,  and^" 

*'I  know  all  about  it,"  said  the  captain,  sign- 
ing his  name  to  a  paper  he  had  been  reading 
over  while  they  spoke. 

"Has  Slocum  been  tellin' — " 

"Slocum  did  his  duty  in  a  silly  way;  you 
exceeded  yours  in  a  manly  way.  That  is  all. 
Bring  in  your  boy." 

Xewlin  was  so  surprised  at  this  new  proof 
of  the  ubiquity  of  the  captain  of  the  Queen, 
that  he  forgot  his  preliminary  instructions,  and 
ojjening  the  cabin  door,  he  called  out : 

"Here,  you  youngster,  come  in." 

Joe,  however,  remembered  his  admonitions, 
and  was  about  to  follow  them  when  the  captain 
took  the  letter  from  his  hand,  and  said: 

"Why,  hello,  if  it  is  n't  my  little  friend  who 


Joe's  IntervicTV  with  Captain  Moxom. 


See  page  72. 


An  Interview  witit  the  Captain.     73 

wanted  to  be  a  captain!  Well,  what  is  your 
business?" 

He  glanced  tbrongli  Mr.  Marvin's  note, 
which  brought  a  smile,  then  read  Killis  Waugh's 
letter  carefully,  and  asked  a  good  many  ques- 
tions of  the  lad,  who  told  him  the  story  of 
Daddy  Waugh's  misfortunes,  and  his  own  de- 
termination, i^ewlin  stood  by  and  heard  it  all, 
now  and  then  uttering  an  exclamation  of  ap- 
proval, and  testifying  his  interest  by  acceler- 
ated mastication  of  tobacco.  As  it  happened, 
he  lived  in  an  adjoining  town,  and  was  able  to 
confirm  the  greater  part  of  Joes  story. 

After  the  captain  had  learned  all  he  could  of 
Daddy  Waugh's  affairs,  and  asked  after  old 
neighbors,  he  said  to  Joe,  kindly  enough,  but 
in  the  masterful  tone  which  comes  of  long 
command : 

''So  you  want  to  get  a  berth  on  this  boat, 
do  you?" 

"If  you  've  got  a  place  where  I  can  earn 
something,  sir." 

''How  much  do  you  think  you  ought  to  re- 
ceive ?" 


74  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"Just  what  you  think  1  'm  worth,  sir." 

"Well,  I  want  a  boy  to  run  of  errands  for 
me,  who  will  obey  my  orders,  and  not  be  sub- 
ject to  any  one  's  else  direction.  Do  you  under- 
stand?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"In  the  cities  where  we  stop  there  will  be  a 
good  deal  to  do  and  little  chance  to  play;  but 
if  you  are  faithful,  attentive,  and  polite,  I  will 
give  you  five  dollars  a  month  and  found.  If 
you  are  prompt  and  obliging,  you  may  some- 
times get  a  dime  from  others  whom  you  will 
have  a  chance  to  serve.     Will  that  suit  you?" 

"O  yes,  indeed,"  said  Joe,  half -delirious  with 
delight.  "I  am  a  thousand  times  obliged,  and 
I  'm  sure  Daddy  Waugh — " 

"That  will  do.  Show  your  thanks  rather 
than  speak  them.  Xow  go  and  send  Tom,  the 
steward's  boy  to  me." 

"Wal,  I  declare,"  said  Mr.  Xewlin,  when 
they  were  fairly  outside  the  cabin  door,  "you 
do  beat  all  I  ever  see  for  luck.  AVhy,  I  never 
knew  the  old  man  to  thaw  out  so  in  my  life. 


An  Interview  with  the  Captain.     75 

I  've  seen  governors  nnd  congressmen  and  all 
sorts  of  big-bugs  on  the  Queen,  but  1  never  see 
him  pay  as  much  attention  to  any  one  of  them! 
And  what  a  berth!  Just  to  run  o'  errands  for 
him,  an'  not  to  be  under  any  one  else  on  the 
boat.  Wasn't  that  what  he  said^  Why,  you 
are  a  notch  above  the  second  officer.  Darned 
if  I  '11  stand  it.  It 's  contrary  to  discipline,  an' 
if  you  do  n't  obey  my  orders,  I  '11  just  pitch  you 
overboard.     That 's  what  I  will." 

The  next  day  Joe  was  j^rovided  with  a  blue 
sailor  suit,  and  was  known  thereafter  on  the 
Queen  as  "'The  Captain's  Boy." 


Chapter  VI. 

JOE'S  ENGAGEMENT. 

A  SHORT  time  served  to  familiarize  Joe 
with  his  new  life,  and  with  that  inex- 
pressible eharm  which  attaches  more  or  less  to 
every  form  of  maritime  existence.  He  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  sea,  and  so  was  not  troubled 
bv  comparisons  between  its  grandeur  and  the 
blue,  sweet  water  through  which  the  Queen 
swept,  always  at  racing  sped,  always  nearer  on 
time  than  any  public  conveyance  had  ever 
thought  of  being  hitherto.  Four  great  inland 
seas.  Lakes  Erie,  St.  Clair,  Huron,  and  Michi- 
iran,  with  their  twelve  hundred  miles  of  varied 
and  intricate  channels,  constituted  a  voyage  of 
more  variety  and  less  opportunity  for  tedium 
than  any  other  of  like  extent  upon  the  globe. 
It  offers  in  quick  alternation  the  charms  of  river 
and  ocean.  Sometimes  the  shores  are  hidden, 
and  the  blue  skies  kiss  the  blue  waters  on  either 
76 


Joe's  Engagement.  77 

liaud;  then  they  are  seen  for  hours,  dim  shad- 
ows in  the  distance,  over  which  the  clouds 
gather;  then  they  rise  in  fertile  terraces  with 
orchard-embowered  homes  and  sharp  glittering 
steeples;  again  they  close  about  in  a  hundred 
softly-rounded  forms,  green  to  the  w^ater's  edge, 
with  deep,  clear  channels  between,  and  the  soft 
outlines  of  pebbly  islands;  anon  they  close  in, 
and  the  way  is  barred  by  shoal  and  bank  and 
islet,  until  the  steersman's  hand  grows  weary  of 
the  ever-shifting  wheel,  and  his  eye  dizzy  in 
the  search  for  the  ever-varying  landmarks. 
Xow  the  bright  waters  of  Erie;  now  the  tangled 
maze  of  the  Flats  of  the  St.  Clair,  the  river 
with  a  hundred  islands;  the  dark,  sullen  waters 
of  Huron;  the  rugged  Mackinaw;  and  the  rest- 
less, green  expanse  of  Michigan,  swept  by  the 
steady  prairie  winds.  It  is  hardly  to  be  won- 
dered at  that,  within  a  month,  Joe  Thompson's 
luxurious  floating  home  became  only  less  dear 
to  him  than  the  Hip-roof  House  by  the  sandy 
roadside,  the  thought  of  whose  inmates  was 
ever  in  his  heart. 


78  The  Hip-koof  House. 

Joe  had  been  away  from  home  a  couple  of 
months,  when  he  received  a  letter  from  Daddy 
AVaugh  which  deeply  touched  his  heart.  He 
could  see  in  every  line  how  the  old  man  pined 
for  his  return.  Daddy  Waugh  sent  his  compli- 
ments to  Captain  Moxom,  and  thanked  him  in 
formal  })lirase,  but  with  pathetic  earnestness, 
for  his  kindness  to  the  boy.  He  informed  the 
lad  that  lawyer  Marvin  had  taken  up  the  mort- 
gage, paying  Perkins  off  entirely,  and  had  given 
him  a  ''paper  writing  that  he  should  keep  the 
place  just  as  long  as  he  paid  the  interest  regu- 
larly." This  was  glad  news  to  Joe.  After  a 
good  deal  of  effort,  he  mustered  up  courage  to 
tell  Captain  Moxoni  the  purport  of  the  letter. 
The  captain  listened  carelessly,  and  merely  said 
that  it  was  ''a  good  thing  for  old  man  AVaugh." 

Joe's  duties  were  not  light,  but  so  varied 
that  they  did  not  seem  severe.  It  was  before 
the  days  of  telephones,  electric  bells,  and  speak- 
ing-tubes. Annunciators,  express  companies, 
and  traveling  postal-clerks  were  yet  unknown 
agencies  of  civilization.     Afloat,  the  boy  had 


Joe's  Engagement.  79 

little  time  when  be  was  not  either  employed  or 
likely  to  be  called  at  any  moment.     But  it  was 
when   they   touched   at   a   port   that   his  active 
duties  began.     He  was  really  the  chief  connect- 
ive between  the  great  steamer  and  the  shore. 
Whenever  she  touched  a  wharf,  he  was  the  first 
to  cross  the  gang-plank.     Everybody  gave  way 
while  the  "Captain's  Boy,"  in  his  natty  uniform, 
with  his  express-bag  slung  across  his  shoulders, 
sprang  lightly  to  the  dock,  and  sped  away  into 
the  town  Avith   the  messages  intrusted  to   his 
hands.    First,  of  course,  came  the  errands  w-hich 
the  captain  had  charged  him  to  perform;  then 
the   requirements   of   the   passengers   were   at- 
tended to.     Letters  were  mailed,  packages  de- 
livered.    Little  by  little,  the  people  in  the  dif- 
ferent towns  along  the  course  of  the  steamer, 
came  to  avail  themselves  of  this  new  and  con- 
venient   method    of    communication,    and    the 
captain's  boy  of  the  Queen  of  the  West  was  a 
recognized  messenger  for  the  transmission  of 
small  parcels.     Before  the  summer  was  over,  a 
regular  system  of  parcel  delivery  had  been  in- 


80  The  Hip-rook  House. 

augurated,  and  Joe,  under  the  captain's  direc- 
tion, had  come  to  have  charge  of  quite  an  im- 
portant business,  the  proceeds  of  which  were 
regularly  turned  over  to  the  captain,  who  had 
established  a  system  of  charges,  intending  at 
first  only  to  make  the  new  idea  pay  the  hire  of 
the  extra  boy,  whom  he  had  taken  on  without 
an  absolute  necessity,  and  felt  compelled  to 
demonstrate  to  the  owners  it  was  not  altogether 
a  useless  luxury. 

It  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  after  five 
months  of  this  busy,  happy  life,  the  pet  of  the 
crew,  a  prime  favorite  of  the  passengers,  and 
the  trusted  agent  of  the  captain,  it  was  with  a 
feeling  of  actual  pleasure   that   he  heard  the 
proposition  from  Mr.   Xewlin  that  he   should 
remain  upon  the  Queen  of  the  West  all  winter. 
"You  see,"  he  said  to  Joe,  moving  his  lips 
as  he  spoke,   in   the   uncertain   manner   which 
characterized   him,    "you   see,   she  's   a-goin'   to 
tie  up  in  Buffalo  for  the  winter.     The  old  man 
an'  the  rest  of  'em  that  owns  her,  they  've  took 
it  into  their  heads  that  she  's  got  to  be  over- 


Joe's  Engagement.  81 

hauled  from  bowsprit  to  starn-post.  They  're 
goin'  to  have  'most  all  her  inside  works  took 
out  an'  lots  o'  new  ehicken-fixin's  put  in.  1 
can't  tell  you  all  they  're  goin'  to  do  with  her, 
'cause  I  'm  puzzled  if  I  know.  It 's  a  lot  of 
new  fanglcd  notions  the  captain  's  been  takin' 
up,  an'  the  rest  of  'em  have  given  in  to  'em  jest 
'cause  they  're  his  'n,  I  s'pose.  I  'm  sure  I 
do  n't  know  any  other  reason.  I  would  n't  ha' 
done  it,  and  told  him  so.  'Let  the  old  Queen 
alone,'  says  I.  'She  's  good  'nough  jest  as  she 
is.  There  ain't  nothin'  else  in  these  ere  fresh- 
water ponds  that  lays  over  her  anyway,'  says  I. 
'She  'II  carry  more  passengers,  carry  'em  quicker, 
and  carry  'em  jest  as  safe  as  anything  that 
floats.  Xow  what  do  you  want  of  anything 
more?'  But  he  's  took  a  notion,  Joe,  an'  you 
know  that  when  the  captain  takes  a  notion,  it 's 
ez  good  's  another  man's  oath.  There  ain't  any 
more  movin'  on  him  than  if  he  was  Mount 
Pizgah. 

"I  do  n't  see  how  he  can  bear  to  do  it,  though. 
Tf  T  was  him,  seems  as  if  I  'd  'most  ez  soon  see 
6 


82  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

my  luotlicr  uukIo  over.  Here  lie  's  made  liis 
fortiii'  and  liis  reputation  in  lier  till  one  can 
liai'dly  t(dl  wliiidi  is  t'other,  Dave  ^foxom  or 
the  Queen,  an'  now  to  go  rip[)in'  her  up  an' 
riggin'  her  over,  I  swear  it  's  right  down  mean 
an'  ungrateful.  For  my  i)art,  I  VI  'most  as  lief 
see  the  poor  old  thing  going  down  at  the  end 
of  her  last  voyage,  as  to  have  her  transmogrified 
till  I  won't  know  whether  I  'm  at  home  or 
visitin'  when  I  'm  aboard  of  her.  That 's  the 
way  I  feel. 

''The  cap'n  had  a  sort  o'  notion  how  it  'ud 
be,  I  guess,  and  that  I  would  n't  step  foot  on 
her  gang-plank,  ef  I  should  chance  to  come 
back  in  the  spring  and  find  her  all  trigged  out 
so  't  I  would  n't  know  her  by  sight,  no  matter 
how  fine  she  might  be.  He  's  been  at  me  to 
stay  aboard  her  all  winter  to  sec  that  there 
do  n't  notliin'  hap[)en.  These  workmen  are 
mighty  careless,  ye  know — terrilde  careless  cf 
there  ain't  nobody  watchin'  \nu.  Ten  chances 
to  one  they  '11  liev  Ium-  afire  a  half-do/en  times 
before    the    ice    bi'caks    up.      'idie    (•a[)'n    wants 


Joe's  Engagement.  83 

somebodv  aboard  her  he  can  rely  on,  an'  sleep 
easy  while  he  's  home  for  the  winter.  1  'm  snre 
I  do  n't  blame  him.  So  he  's  offered  me  good 
wages;  in  fact,  just  as  much  as  I  git  in  summer, 
an'  boarded  right  along,  too,  to  stay  on  her  an' 
liev  oversight  an'  command  like.  Tom  's  goin' 
to  stay  an'  cook,  an'  they  allow  me  my  pick  o' 
the  hands  to  spell  me  on  the  watch,  an'  kind  o' 
for  couipany,  you  know. 

"I  spoke  to  the  cap'n  'bout  you.  He  said 
be  'd  jest  as  lief  you  staid  as  anybody;  in  fact, 
a  little  ruther.  He  does  seem  to  set  more  store 
by  you  than  anybody  else  that  was  ever  on  the 
Queen  afore.  I  thought  at  first  some  o'  the 
hands  would  be  kind  o'  riled  about  it,  but  seems 
as  if  they  was  too  well  pleased  to  have  Dave 
!Moxom  set  store  by  anybody  to  care  whether 
't  was  'em  or  not.  But  he  does  seem  to  take 
real  intrust  in  you,  real  intrust.  He  said  he 
did  n't  'bleve  you  could  stay,  thought  you  'd  be 
wanted  't  home  during  the  winter,  you  know, 
and  besides  that  he  said  you  ought  to  be  goin' 
to   scho(jl,    half    a    vear    anvhow.      He  's    ri^ht 


84  Thk  Hip-rook  House. 

there,  too.  In  fact,  Dave  Moxom  's  'most  al- 
ways riglit,  t'f  lie  is  kind  o'  cur'ns  in  his  ways. 
That  idee  'bont  scdiool  sort  o'  upset  me.  You 
see  I  'd  got  my  mind  settled  on  havin'  you  with 
me.  I  thought  we  could  fix  up  kind  o'  snug  and 
nice  aboard  the  Queen,  you  an'  me  an'  Tom, 
an'  liev  'bout  ez  good  a  time  ez  three  fellers  need 
to  hev;  all  at  the  company's  expense.  That 's 
the  fun  ov  it,  Joe.  O'  course  I  'd  like  to  go 
home  's  well  as  anybody.  I  dunno  what  the 
ol'  woman  will  think,  having  me  away  from 
home  summer  'n  winter,  too.  And  the  young 
uns — by  thunder,  Joe,  I  expect  the  little  cusses 
will  get  to  think  their  dad  's  no  more  'count  'n 
shadder.  But  then  the  wages!  They'll  go  a 
good  way  towards  consolin'  the  ol'  woman.  But 
I  wa'n't  a  goin'  to  stay  'nless  you  was  with  me, 
that 's  certain.  I  did  n't  want  to  keep  ye  out 
o'  school,  though,  nor  take  ye  away  from  home, 
ef  ye  was  really  needed  there  for  chores  an'  sicli 
like,  ye  know. 

"You  sec  the  cap'n  says  he  '11  give  you  a 
man's   wages,    'cause   you  '11   be   worth   jest   as 


Joe's  Engagement.  85 

iimeli  's  a  man  to  watcli  'bout  the  boat,  an' 
there  's  got  to  be  a  watch  kept  every  minit  of 
the  time  I  have  charge  of  lier.  There  ain't 
no  sech  propert}'  a^  the  Qneen  goin'  to  be  left 
under  my  charge  'thout  somebody  's  eyes  bein' 
on  her  from  the  time  her  nose  is  tied  np  to  the 
snubbin'  post,  till  she  's  run  out  of  the  creek  in 
the  spring.  That 's  Jess  Xewlin's  way  o'  takin' 
care  of  things.  Of  course,  you  '11  hev  to  watch 
your  one-third  of  the  time,  only  when  I  spell 
ye  now  an'  then ;  so  you  '11  airn  your  money 
jest  the  same  's  the  rest  o'  us.  Xow  that 's  ten 
dollars  a  month  and  board,  Joe.  Yer  grand'ther 
'ud  like  to  hev  ye  't  home,  but  he  'd  hev  you 
to  board,  an'  there  's  nothin'  to  do  only  the 
chores.  Xow,  it  jest  'curred  to  me  there  's  alius 
somebody  that  'd  be  willin'  to  do  the  chores  for 
his  board  an'  go  to  school,  an'  't  would  n't  cost 
a  cent  more  to  board  him  than  't  would  you, 
do  n't  ye  see?  I  do  n't  know  nothin'  'bout  how 
yer  fixed  't  home,  but  I  jest  conceited  that  the 
whole  thing  could  be  'ranged,  an'  you  not  lose 
yer    schoolin'    nor    yer    grand'ther    yer    board. 


8fi  Thk  Hip-roof  Housi:. 

You  see,  Tom  an'  I,  we  t-onld  talve  our  watelies 
any  time,  only  Tom  'ml  liev  to  be  off  at  meal- 
time, o'  course,  'cause  lie  'd  Lev  to  doctor  tlie 
g-rul).  But  we  could  fix  our  watches  so  's  to 
put  yours  in  piecemeal  in  the  mornin'  an'  after- 
noon, don't  ye  see?  And  let  ye  go  to  school 
in  the  middle  of  the  day.  I  spoke  to  the  cap'n 
'bout  it,  an'  he  says  they  've  fust-rate  schools 
there  that  ye  could  go  to,  an'  do  jest  as  well 's 
you  'd  do  't  home.  Now,  what  'd  ye  think  of 
it,  boy? 

"  'T  ain't  half  a  bad  chance.  I  hev  kind  o' 
tuk  a  notion  to  you  somehow,  an'  T  'd  like  to 
hev  ye  'long,  but  there  ain't  no  hurry.  Jest 
take  yer  time  an'  make  up  yer  mind  in  yer  own 
way.  If  I  stay,  the  cap'n  will  give  me  a  week 
off  afore  the  season 's  over  to  go  home  an' 
see  the  folks,  an'  kind  o'  fix  up  fer  the  winter, 
ye  know.  I  'spect  he  'd  do  the  same  by  you, 
too,  ef  ye  conclude  to  stay." 

The  good  mate  with  his  curious  countenance 
and  rough  tongue  hitched  hurriedly  away,  spin- 
ning himself  to  the  right  and  left,  as  he  went 


Joe's  Engagement.  87 

fonvanl  to  attend  to  his  duties  after  tliis  con- 
versation, leaving  Joe,  as  he  said,  to  make  np 
his  mind.  Joe's  mind  was  ah-eady  made  np. 
It  was  too  good  an  opportunity  to  be  hjst;  he 
saw  that  at  a  gdance.  And  though  his  Hp  trem- 
bled and  his  eyes  tilled  with  tears  as  he  thought 
of  the  disappointment  which  Daddy  Waugh 
and  'Cindy  would  experience,  and  though  his 
heart  grew  heavy  at  the  idea  of  facing  the  un- 
wonted terrors  of  a  city  school,  and  he  felt  that 
the  winter  nights  would  1)0  very  long  even  on 
board  the  Queen,  if  she  were  locked  in  the  ice 
with  other  dismantled  craft  in  a  desolate  harbor, 
he  made  his  decision.  The  result  of  it  was  that 
late  in  October  the  mate  and  Joe  went  ashore 
at  the  very  dock  where  they  had  lirst  met, 
and  when  the  Queen  had  started  on  her  western 
way,  mounted  a  wagon  that,  l)v  pre-arrange- 
ment,  waited  to  take  Xewlin  to  his  home.  They 
were  to  meet  the  boat  again  on  her  downward 
trip  the  next  week,  and  remain  on  board  until 
lier  first  upward  trip  the  succeeding  stuumer. 
"Mind  now,  and  be  ready   when  1  call  for 


a8  The  Hip-roof  House. 

yc  on  Monday  week,"  was  the  parting  injunc- 
tion of  Xowliii,  as  lie  dropped  Joe  at  Daddy 
AVaugh's  on  his  way  home.  "That  '11  give  ye 
jest  a  week  an'  one  Sunday  to  straighten  out 
tlu^  lIi])-roof.  Do  n't  look  as  ef  it  needed  much 
fixin',  hut  I  guess  you  '11  find  enough  to  do.  Ef 
ye  do  n't,  ye  can  take  it  out  in  visitin'  with  thai 
pretty  cousin.  What's  her  name?  'CUndy, 
ain't  it?  Not  yer  cousin,  eh?  So  much  the 
better;  'nother  feller's  cousin  is  enough  sight 
better — 'nutf  sight — 'nuff  sight.  Good  bye." 
He  left  Joe  standing  by  the  roadside,  trying 
to  quiet  the  strangling  heart-beats  which  every 
lad  experiences  when  he  returns  home  from  his 
first  prolonged  absence,  and  wonders  what 
changes  time  has  made  since  he  departed. 


N 


Chapter  VH. 

A  VISIT  TO  HOME. 

OTHIXG  was  changed  about  the  old  place 
so  far  as  a  stranger  could  have  detected; 
but  Joe  saw  what  a  stranger's  eye  would  have 
missed.  It  is  true  summer  had  come  and  gone, 
and  the  autumn  winds  had  ripened  the  leaves; 
but  it  was  not  this  that  Joe  noted.  Hope  had 
evidently  come  into  the  Hip-roof  House  since 
he  went  away.  Things  looked  tidier  and  snug- 
ger than  he  had  ever  seen  them.  It  cut  him  to 
the  heart  for  a  moment,  as  he  thought  that  they 
got  along,  not  only  just  as  well,  but  even  a 
little  better,  than  when  he  was  present. 

"1  guess  some  of  it,  though,"  he  said  to 
himself,  consolingly,  as  he  shouldered  his  bag 
and  stepped  toward  the  gate,  "is  due  tu  my 
being  away  trying  to  help." 

His  spirits  rose  at  the  thought.      He  could 

89 


!I0  The  Hip-roof  House. 

not  help  fecliuu'  his  pocket  to  see  if  tlie  little 
store  of  earnings  was  safe. 

''That  will  make  Daddy  Waiigh  glad,  and 
'Cindy,  too,"  he  thought,  opening  the  gate.  It 
was  a  new  gate,  fastened  with  a  spring-lateh  of 
a  pattern  Killis  Wangli  was  very  prond  of  hav- 
ina-  invented.  It  was  made  of  nieelv-turned 
bars,  neatly  fitted  together,  and  showed  the 
loving  care  of  the  industrious  and  skillful  in- 
valid. The  fresh,  unpainted  woodwork  attested 
that  it  had  but  recently  been  put  in  place.  The 
boy  tried  the  latch  and  swung  the  gate  back 
and  forth,  noticing  its  even,  steady  movement. 

"Daddy  AVaugh  must  have  been  out  here 
when  that  was  hung,"  he  commented.  "There 
ain't  anybody  else  around  here  looks  after  little 
things  the  way  he  does.  It  hasn't  been  done 
long,  either — not  more  'n  a  week  or  two  at  tlie 
outside.  I  would  n't  wonder  now  if  it  was  put 
up  on  purpose,  so  't  I  'd  see  it  the  first  thing 
when  I  came  home." 

This  reflection  sent  the  blood  rushing  to  his 
heart  like  a  friendly  greeting.     The  gate  was  a 


A  Visit  to  Homk.  91 

token  of  remembrance — of  tliat  lie  felt  sure. 
As  he  closed  it  behind  him,  he  saw  the  bright 
antumn  sun  lighting  up  with  its  setting  rays 
the  familiar  woods,  and  noted  that  the  corn 
had  been  cut  in  the  "three-acre  lot"  across  the 
road,  shoAving  a  goodly  crop  of  pumpkins. 

A  couple  of  spotted  pigs,  lieariug  the  click 
of  the  gatedatch,  came  running  to  the  trough 
near  In',  and  lustily  squealed  their  disappoint- 
ment at  tinding  it  empty. 

'*A\'ell,  I  declare,"  said  the  boy,  half-aloud, 
'diuw  them  shoats  have  grown  I  It  don't  seem 
possible  they  can  be  the  pigs  I  brought  home 
in  March.  And  there  's  corn  and  pumpkins 
enough  over  there  to  fatten  'em  and  keep  the 
cow  in  good  condition  all  winter.  I  declare 
Daddy  Waugh  has  l)een  taking  a  fresh  start  in 
liis  old  days  I  We  '11  pay  otf  the  mortgage  in 
short  order,  if  things  go  on  in  this  way.  .Vnd 
just  look  at  the  apples!"  He  turned  and  started 
toward  the  house,  his  eyes  sparkling  as  they 
wandered  over  the  heavily-fruited  trees  which 
seemed  to  end^race  the  Ilip-ruof  liuusc  on  all 


U2  The  Hip-roof  House. 

sides.  The  lad  was  at  lioine  once  more.  The 
Queen,  and  all  that  he  had  seen  and  hoped  and 
felt  beyond  the  charmed  circle  of  his  boyhood 
home,  were  forgotten.  He  experienced  for  the 
first  time  the  thrill  of  tender  thought  which 
assures  us  that  all  other  life  is  but  an  adjunct 
of  that  better  life  which  centers  at  home.  He 
had  passed  the  boundary-line  and  entered  upon 
nunvs  estate.  He  had  become  not  merely  the 
care-taker,  but  the  planner  and  achiever  of  life- 
designs — one  who  causes  events  to  come  to  pass 
through  conceiving  brain  and  tireless  hand. 

He  walked  up  the  path  quite  forgetful  of 
the  heavy  bag  upon  his  shoulders,  which  had 
hardly  been  out  of  his  mind  during  the  whole 
homeward  trip,  his  left  hand  picking  uncon- 
sciously the  rankly-blooming  marigolds  which 
lined  it,  and  threw  up  their  black  and  yellow 
faces  as  if  to  attract  his  attention  to  their  silent 
welcome. 

Ecaching  the  house,  Joe  walked  liglitly  along 
the  porch,  and  opened  the  door  without  knock- 
ing.    Daddy  Waugh  sat  before  a  smoldering 


A  Visit  to  Homk.  93 

fire,  working  upon  some  small  article  and  lium- 
niing  the  words  of  a  favorite  livmn.  The  tears 
came  to  the  boy's  eyes  as  he  noted  the  air  of 
contentment,  and  thought  how  much  pleasanter 
was  the  home-coming  than  the  leave-taking  had 
been.  Putting  dowii  his  bag,  he  stepped  quickly 
in  front  of  the  old  man,  doffed  his  cap,  and 
saluted  smartly,  as  was  his  wont  on  board  the 
Queen. 

'Tor  the  land  sakes!"  exclaimed  the  old 
man  with  a  start,  dropping  the  broken  dish  he 
was  patiently  mending,  so  that  it  fell  to  the 
floor,  and  was  shattered  beyond  hope  of  repair. 
"Only  see  how  you  startled  me,  youngster — 
jest  as  I  'd  got  it  fairly  together  ready  to  glue 
up.  What  d  'ye  mean  breaking  in  on  a  body 
that  way,  anyhow?  Haven't  ye  any  manners, 
coming  into  folks'  houses  without  rappin'?  I 
s'pose  it 's  'Cindy  ye  want  ter  see.  She 's 
milkin';  but  next  time  ye  want  to  come  in, 
do  n't  be  afraid  o'  rappin'  on  the  door.  It 's 
old,  but  it  '11  stand  a  deal  of  knockin'  yit.  I 
ralely  did  n't  think,"  he  growled,  as  he  busied 


i>4  TiiK  Hip-roof  House. 

liimself  in  })ickhig-  up  the  pieces  of  tlie  shat- 
tered bowl,  "that  any  of  the  neighbors  had  such 
an  nnmannei'ly  cnl).  AVho  be  ye,  anyhow^" 
The  old  man  looked  over  his  glasses  at  the  smil- 
ing boy. 

"Joe  Thompson,  sir,"  with  another  salnte. 

''Joe  what?"  asked  the  old  man,  with  a  i)uz- 
zled  look — "Joe  Thompson — Joe — \g  don't 
mcanr'  peering  eagerly  into  his  faee — "Blessed 
ef  it  ain't — ou7-  Joe!" 

The  old  man  caught  him  by  the  arms,  and 
drew  him  close. 

"Our  Joe  and  nobody  else!"  he  exclaimed, 
as  he  patted  the  boy's  shoulder,  while  the  tears 
])oured  down  his  gentle  face.  "And  to  think 
T  didn't  know  him,"  reproachfully;  "a  boy  as 
good  as  he  is,  that  has  only  been  away  such  a 
little  time!  But  how  you  have  growu,  lad! 
And  in  them  clothes,  too!  I  began  to  think 
my  eyes  was  failin',  but  T  don't  believe  'Cindy 
herself  would  ha'  known  ye,  jest  on  a  sud- 
den so." 


A  Visit  to  Home.  95 

"I  'm  sorry  about  tlie  bowl,  Daddv  Waugli/' 
said  Joe,  archly. 

''O,  bother  the  bowl  I  I  'd  be  willing  to  see 
all  the  dishes  in  the  house  broke  for  a  sight  o' 
you,  lad.  How  d'ye  do?  I  needn't  ask  that, 
though.  Any  one  can  see  you  were  never  so 
well  before.  How  d  'ye  git  here,  an'  what  d  'ye 
mean  playin'  tricks  on  yer  old  daddy  that  way  ?" 

The  old  man  had  his  arms  about  the  boy's 
waist.  Joe  was  absently  stroking  the  thin,  gray 
hair  that  curled  away  from  the  bald  head-crown 
and  rested  like  a  silver  circlet  on  his  neck,  when 
a  quick  step  was  heard  upon  the  planks  at  the 
back  door. 

''  'Cindy!"  said  Joe,  in  a  half-whisper. 
With  a  warning  look  and  liis  hand  on  his  lips, 
he  sprang  behind  the  door.  The  old  man  turned 
to  watch  the  expected  surprise  as  'Cindy  en- 
tered. She  had  grown  even  more  than  her  ])oy- 
jilaymate,  during  the  summer.  Two  braids  of 
i-ii-li,  auburn  hair  hung  below  her  waist,  and 
her  fair  face   was   Hushed   with   ruddv   health. 


96  The  Hip-roof  Housk. 

She  carried  a  tin  pail  nearly  full  of  milk,  and 
as  she  threw  back  the  door,  effectually  conceal- 
ing Joe,  she  said  in  lond,  but  cheerful,  tones: 

^'Grandpa,  I  don't  believe  we  'd  better  wait 
for  Joe  to  come  'fore  we  begin  to  gather  the 
apples.    I  wish  the  land  he  was  here — " 

Two  hands  were  clapped  over  her  eyes  be^ 
fore  she  could  utter  another  word. 

"Ha^  ha!"  laughed  the  old  man.  "That's 
what  ye  git  for  talkin'  'bout  them  ye  think 
do  n't  hear  ye." 

The  young  girl  did  not  manifest  any  sur- 
prise, beyond  the  fact  that  her  face  became 
suffused  with  crimson  and  her  lips  were 
wreathed  in  smiles. 

"It 's  Joe,"  she  said. 

Joe  kissed  her  before  he  restored  her  vision, 
and  when  he  had  removed  his  hands  and  put 
an  arm  around  her  waist,  her  eyes  were  full  of 
tears.  Something  the  boy  saw  in  their  depths 
led  him  to  kiss  the  full,  red  lips  once  more — 
this  time  even  more  tenderly. 

"There,  there,"  said  the  old  man,  jocosely; 


A  Visit  to  Homk.  97 

"do  n't  be  goin'  on  with  any  more  of  yonr  sailor 
ways.      Is  that  the  way  you  treat  the  girls i" 

"That 's  the  way  I  treat  'Cindy,  Daddy 
Waugli,"  said  Joe.  "'(^uise  she's  my  little 
wife,  you  know — always  has  been,  and  always 
going  to  be." 

''Haven't  you  forgot  that?"  asked  'Cindy, 
as  she  started  toward  the  pantry  with  her  milk. 
There  was  a  deeper  flush  upon  her  face,  how- 
ever, and  her  voice  did  not  betray  dissatisfac- 
tion. 

"_Xo,"  retorted  the  boy,  saucily,  "I  have  n't 
forgot  it,   and  do  ti't  ever  mean  to  forget  it." 

"Sho,  sho,"  said  the  old  man,  in  a  tone  of 
mock  disapproval;  "won't  ye  never  git  over  yer 
boy  pranks?" 

"Spect  not,  daddy.  Feel  as  if  I  'd  have  to 
dance  a  hornpipe  now  to  keep  myself  from  fly- 
ing away." 

Setting  his  cap  jauntily  upon  one  side,  the 

frolicsome  boy  wheeled  a  chair  out  of  the  way, 

sprang  into  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  began 

to  execute  the  breathless  movements  that  seem 

7 


98  The  Hip-roof  House. 

to  be  the  cliiiiax  of  the  sailor's  idea  of  saltatory 
achievement. 

''Laud  sakes!  Only  see  the  boy!  'Cindy! 
'Cindy!  Do  look  at  him."  The  old  man 
lifted  his  thin  hands  in  half-protesting 
amazement.  The  injunction  was  unnecessary. 
'Cind}'  was  already  standing  in  the  doorway, 
watching  with  admiration  this  new  accomplish- 
ment of  her  playmate.  "Bless  my  soul  I''  con- 
tinued the  old  man,  "ain't  ye  never  goin'  to 
stop?  Why,  you  'II  shake  your  legs  off,  boy, 
besides  upsettin'  everything  in  the  house,  and 
bringin'  the  Hip-roof  down  about  our  ears,  the 
first  thing  ye  know.  Stop!  you  young  varmint! 
Here,  where  's  my  hammer?"  fumbling  among 
his  tools  on  the  little  bench  before  him.  "I  de- 
clare I  '11  throw  this  mallet  at  ye  if  ye  do  n't 
quit." 

He  raised  the  weapon  with  a  merr^-  twinkle 
in  his  eyes,  which  showed  how  he  enjoyed  the 
presence  of  the  healthy  lad  and  his  innocent 
pranks.  Joe  bowed  low,  kissed  his  hand  as  he 
swept  the  floor  with  his  cap,  pirouetted  lightly 


A  Visit  to  Homk.  99 

liiic'k  to  "Ciiidv,  and  surprised  that  yoiiiig  lady 
with  another  kiss. 

^'I  declare,  'Cindy/'  extdainied  the  old  man, 
"we  '11  have  to  have  the  constable  in  to  keep 
that  young  cub  straight.  The  lake  's  sp'ilt  him, 
'Cindy,  clean  sp'ilt  him.  Only  think  of  such 
carryin's  on  in  the  Hip-roof  House!  Kissin' 
an'  dancin'!  Xot  that  I  mind  kissin' — in  mod- 
eration, of  course — but  the  dancin' !  That 's 
an  abomination!  An  such  dancin'!  Why,  it 's 
enough  to  take  one's  breath  away.  An'  I  a 
deacon,  too — that  is,  I  was  before  I  was  buried. 
1  do  n't  know  as  I  'm  anvthing  now!" 

"O,  you  nnist  n't  scold  Joe  the  first  thing 
after  he  's  been  away  so  long,"  said  'Cindy,  "'or 
perhaps  he  won't  come  again!" 

"Scold  him?  Bless  your  dear  soul,  who  ever 
thought  of  scoldin'?  Can't  an  old  man  have  the 
privilege  of  carryin'  on  a  little,  even  if  he  can't 
dance?  Come  here,  both  on  ye!  Let  me  take 
your  hands,  an'  look  at  ye  together.  I  say  for 
it,  you  are  a  pair  to  be  proud  of!  An'  you  love 
your  «»ld  daddy,  do  n't  ye,  just  the  same  as  ever? 


100  The  Hii'-kook  House. 

Au'  ye  're  still  cliildren,  too — jest  as  loviii'  and 
kind  as  when  ye  Avent  awav.  (),  the  Lord  is 
good!  I  asked  him  to  hring-  l)aek  my  boy,  an' 
he  brought  me  a  man  with  a  boy's  lieart! 
'T  ain't  many  has  such  a  boy  an'  snch  a  girl  to 
comfort  their  old  age — not  many!  We  can 
afford  to  have  a  mortgage  on  the  old  house 
while  we've  got  sueli  treasures  in  it!" 

"But  we  won't  have  that  mortgage  long, 
daddy,"  said  Joe,  eagerly. 

"I  b'lieve  ye,  son,  I  b'lieve  ye;  but  go  away 
now — go  away,  you  an'  'Cindy.  I  want  to  be 
alone  an'  think,  an'  I  would  n't  have  ye  see 
me  cryin'  for  anything  in  the  world — I 
would  n't,  truly,*"  he  added,  with  ludicrous  pro- 
testations, while  the  tears  ran  down  his  fur- 
rowed cheeks. 

The  children  knew  his  moods,  and,  kissing 
him  tenderly,  withdi-ew,  and  left  him  to  render 
thanks  to  that  One  greatest,  whose  lessons  of 
charity  he  had  so  well  learned. 


T 


Chapter  VHI. 

TOE'S  PROJECT. 

HE  impatient  lad  declared  that  lie  "must 
go  and  look  around"  at  once,  and  'Cindy 
must  go  with  him.  The  girl  objected,  saying 
she  must  prepare  the  evening  meal;  but  he  as- 
serted imperiously  that  it  could  wait,  but 
he  must  see  the  orchard  before  the  daylight 
ended.  'Cindy  assented  half-reluctantly,  and 
yet  with  a  secret  contentment  that  showed  in 
looks  and  tone  as  they  left  the  house  and  took 
the  path  toward  the  spring.  The  sunset  glow 
lighted  the  heavy-laden  trees,  and  the  scent  of 
the  fallen  fruit  filled  the  air.  The  boy  talked 
eagerly.  The  girl  listened  half-doubtfully.  He 
was  positive,  masterful.  The  instinct  of  owner- 
ship, possession,  achievement,  had  awakened  in 
his  soul.  This  was  the  Hip-roof  place  which 
he  would  redeem  from  a  creditor's  hand.  He 
was  paying  back  the  debt  of  his  infancy,  and 

101 


102  The  Hip-koof  House. 

saving  from  ^vallt  tlie  iiiaii  wlio  liad  taken  pity 
on  his  helplessness.  He  was  thinking  not  so 
much  of  himself  as  his  aspirations  and  achieve- 
ments. 'Cindy  walked  beside  him  alert  and 
eager,  but  thoughtful  and  subdued.  She  was 
thinking  of  him,  and  wondering  why  the  boy 
who  returned  was  not  exactly  the  one  who  had 
gone  away  five  months  before.  She  was  sure 
he  was  different,  and  was  not  certain  that  she 
would  like  him  quite  as  well — or  rather,  if  he 
would  like  her  so  well  as  had  the  playmate  she 
had  lost. 

''Tell  you  what,  'Cindy,"  said  Joe,  with  a 
somewhat  pronounced  assertiveness  of  manner, 
"there  don't  anybody  get  the  Hip-roof  place 
while  we  're  on  deck,  do  theyf 

'T  guess  not,  Joe," — doubtfully. 

"Guess  not?  I  don't  guess;  I  know.  It's 
everything  in  taking  hold,  you  see." 

"Yes?" 

"Of  course  it  is.  Only  think,  't  ain't  hardly 
half  a  year  since  Daddy  Waugh  was  going  to 
give  up,  and  let  that  mean  'Siah  Perkins  take 


Joe's  Project.  103 

the  place  at  his  own  price,  and  go  to  the  county 
house,  himself.  But  that  was  n't  our  notion, 
was  it,  'Cindy  ^" 

"You  know  grandpa  is  old  and  feeble,"  said 
the  girl,  apologetically. 

"Exactly"— not  noticing  the  implied  re- 
proach, because  he  had  not  intended  any  re- 
flection— "and  that  's  the  reason  we  have  to 
take  hold  and  think  for  him,  as  well  as  do  for 
him." 

"O,  we  could  n't  get  along  without  grandpa 
to  plan  and  advise," 

"Xo,  no,"  rejoined  the  boy.  "But  he  do  n't 
do  to  depend  on  any  more.  AVe  've  got  to  look 
after  things,  and  save  the  old  place  ourselves." 

"Of  course  we  must  do  what  we  can.  Do  n't 
seem  to  me  as  if  I  could  do  much,"  murmured 
the  girl. 

"iS'o,  't  ain't  as  if  you  were  a  boy,"  answered 
Joe,  condescendingly,  utterly  ignoring  the 
prayer  for  appreciation  that  lurked  in  her  tones; 
"  't  ain't  as  if  you  were  a  boy;  but  I  tell  you, 
'Cindy,  there  ain't  many  girls  that  would  take 


104  The  Hip-koof  House. 

hold  all  alone  and  keep  things  together  and  a 
running,  and  have  'em  look  as  well  as  they  do 
now,  after  five  months." 

(Qualified  as  the  praise  was,  it  was  frank  and 
hearty,  and  the  light  came  into  the  girl's  eyes 
and  the  color  into  her  cheeks  as  she  looked  up 
at  Joe,  and  said  timidly: 

"I  did  the  best  I  could,  Joe." 

The  sunset  glow  was  on  her  face,  and  a  heav- 
ily-laden bough  of  blood-red  Spitzenbergs  hung 
just  behind,  as  Joe  turned  to  her.  She  was  a 
fair  and  waiting  Madonna,  framed  in  russet- 
green,  bedecked  with  Pompeian  red,  and  lighted 
with  a  golden  aureole.  Though  he  did  not 
know  it,  the  boy  forgot  himself  in  the  glory  of 
her  loveliness.  He  forgot  his  achievements,  his 
aspiration,  seeing,  remembering  only  her. 

"^'I  declare,  'Cindy,  you  are  pretty — never 
saw  a  girl  grow  handsome  as  fast  in  my  life," 
he  said,  with  characteristic  positiveness. 

AVoman  is  made  to  be  wooed,  and  nothing 
restores  the  equanimity  of  even  the  most  un- 
practiced  feminine,   so  quickly  as  admiration. 


Joe  and  ^Cindy  in  the  Orchard. 


See  page  104. 


Joe's  Project.  105 

So,  instead  of  growing  confused,  a  look  of  (juiet 
satisfaction  stole  into  'Cindy's  eyes,  and  she 
said  demurely: 

"You  were  saying  something  about — about 
the  old  placed' 

"Was  I?"  returned  Joe,  absently.  "O  yes, 
I  was  saying  that  I  was  n't  inclined  to  give  it 
up  just  because  'Siah  Perkins  had  a  mortgage 
on  it.  Xeither  were  you,  for  that  matter,"  he 
added,  catching  a  flash  in  her  eye.  "You  stood 
by  me  like — like  a — " 

"Like  a  sister,  Joe,"  she  suggested. 

"AVell,  that  ain't  what  I  was  going  to  say, 
but  I  s'pose  it 's  what  I  ought  to  say.  I  do  n't 
know  nothing  'bout  sisters,  'cept  you,  and  you 
ain't  my  sister,  and  I  'm  glad  of  it,  too." 

"AVhy,  Joe,  I  did  n't  think  you  'd  ever  say 
that  to  me.  I  'm  sure  I  've  tried  to  be  a  good 
sister."  There  was  reproach  in  her  voice,  and 
Joe  thought  she  was  going  to  cry. 

"O,  I  did  n't  mean  you  were  n't  good — you 
know  I  did  n't,"  he  hastened  to  say, 

"What  did  vou  mean,  then?"    The  tone  was 


106  Thk  Hip-roof  Housk. 

iiie-rediiloiis,  aiul  implied  that  the  shower  was 
only  delayed. 

"I  iiicant-^-you  know  what  I  meant,  'Cindy." 

^'I  am  sure  I  can't  imagine — what — else — 
you — could — mean !" 

There  were  actually  tears  in  the  brown  eyes 
now. 

''Why,  I — I  just  meant — "  said  Joe,  pulling 
the  seed  from  a  dry  stalk  of  timothy  that  stood 
beside  him,  in  awkward  embarrassment,  "that 
I  was  glad  you  were  n't  my  sister — 'cauac — 
'cause  I  want  you  some  day  for  my  wife." 

"Why,  Joe!"  In  well-simulated  surprise 
'Cindy  put  her  apron  over  her  face,  and  laid 
her  head  on  the  boy's  shoulder  to  conceal  her 
blushes. 

"There,  there,  sissy,"  he  said,  stroking  her 
hair,  and  thinking  how  delicate  was  the  pink 
of  the  little  ear,  framed  between  the  blue- 
checked  apron  and  the  red-gold  braid;  "there, 
there,  I  did  n't  mean  to  say  anything  wrong." 

"I    do  n't    s'pose    there  's    anything    wrong 


Joe's  Project.  107 

about  it,"  came  in  a  smothered  voice  from  his 
shoulder,   "only — only — " 

"Only  what,  "Cindy?" 

''Only — I — I — never  thought  of  it  before," 
with  an  innocent  sigh. 

^'^O,  I  'spect  not,"  returned  Joe,  in  matter-of- 
fact  superiority.  "  'T  wa'n't  at  all  necessary. 
There  's  time  enough  for  that  after  we  'vc  got 
the  old  place  clear,  and  made  Daddy  AVaugh 
a  free  man.  That 's  what  we  're  going  to  do 
first,  ain't  it,  'Cindy?" 

"I  believe  you  will,  Joe,"  she  said,  looking 
up  earnestly  into  his  eyes,  willing  to  pay  hom- 
age to  the  king,  now  that  he  had  surrendered, 
and  doing  so  with  the  subtle  self-obliteration 
which  is  the  crucial  test  of  womanly  devotion. 

"Of  course  we  will,"  responded  Joe,  refusing 
to  accept  the  proffered  adulation.  "We  've 
done  the  hardest  part  of  it  already.  It  did  n't 
look  very  bright  when  I  set  off  to  ])oard  the 
Queen,  and  you  stopped  at  home  to  take  care 
of  things  and  look  after  Daddy  Waugh,  did  it, 


108  Thk  Hip-rook  House. 

"Cindy  ^  But  I'\e  got  twenty-tive  dollars 
toward  paying'  ofY  the  mortgage,  and  I  may  be 
able  to  spare  a  little  more." 

The  boy  spoke  proudly,  and  laid  the  bills  in 
the  girl's  band  as  he  did  so.  They  were  the 
first  fruits  of  his  maidiood,  and  he  felt  that  he 
was  entitled  to  enjoy  her  approval  of  all  the 
courage  and  self-denial  they  attested.  She  took 
the  little  roll  of  bills,  opened  it,  and  counted 
them  carefully.  She  had  never  seen  so  much 
money  at  one  time  before.  After  she  had 
counted  them,  she  put  her  arms  about  the  boy's 
neck,  her  cheeks  aglow  with  honest  pride,  and 
said  in  a  tone  of  irrepressible  exultation: 
"O  Joe,  you  are  so  good — so  good!" 
"^o,  I  ain't  good,"  he  protested;  " 't  ain't 
nothing  more  'n  any  other  boy  'd  've  done — nor 
as  much  as  a  good  many,  perhaps.  'T  was  all 
I  could  do,  though.  I  was  afraid  Daddy 
Waugh  'd  get  discouraged,  it  came  so  slow. 
Five  dollars  a  month  for  five  months;  you  see 
it 's  just  twenty-five  dollars.     I  've  got  a  little 


Joe's  Project.  109 

more,  'cause  the  captain  gave  me  a  cliance  for 
extras,  but  I  can't  let  it  all  go,  you  know." 

''Certainly  not,"  asserted  'Cindy,  not  know- 
ing any  reason  in  the  world  why  not,  but  sure 
that  the  bustling  lad  who  had  already  earned 
and  saved  so  much  must  be  quite  right  in  any 
business  deductions  he  might  make.  She  had 
much  the  same  regard  for  him  that  a  curbstone 
broker  has  for  the  opinions  of  a  Vanderbilt  or 
a  Jay  Gould. 

''You  see,  I  may  not  be  at  home  this  winter," 
eToo  continued,  with  a  provoking  air  of  mystery. 

"Xot  at  home  this  winter!  AVhy,  where 
-will  you  be^''  Surprise,  almost  alarm,  was  in 
her  voice.  * 

"In   Buffalo." 

"Buffalo?"  There  was  no  mistaking  the 
alarm  now. 

"Yes,"  unconcernedly.  "I  've  had  an  offer 
of  a  job  there  for  the  winter." 

"And  you  're  going  to  be  there  all  winter?" 

Then  there  was  silence.      She  was  twisting; 


110  The  Hir-ROOK  House. 

the  bills  about  her  fingers  as  carelessly  and  un- 
conseionsly  as  if  slie  were  the  danghter  of  a 
millionaire. 

"But  do  you  think,  Joe,  you  oiiglit  to  leave 
grandpa  so  long^  You  know  the  winter  is  a 
hard  time  for  him.'' 

"I  've   thought   of   it,"   said   Joe,   seriously, 
"and  the  chores  and  all  that.     Of  course,  you 
couldn't  do  them — and  there  couldn't  but  one. 
of  us  go  to  school  if  I  was  at  home." 

"Xo,"  sighed  the  girl.  She  was  fond  of  her 
books,  was  the  best  scholar  in  the  district  school, 
and  the  one  wish,  of  her  heart  was  to  attend 
the  academy  for  a  few  terms,  so  that  she  might 
be  able  to  teach.  "Of  course  not, — it  would  n't 
be  safe,  and  is  n't  necessary.  I  could  study  at 
home,  and  you  could  help  me  evenings." 

That  was  the  way  'Cindy  put  it.  Ever  since 
Daddy  Waugh  had  become  so  infirm  as  to  re- 
quire attendance,  they  had  taken  their  school- 
ing "turn  and  turn  about,"  as  the  old  man  ex- 
pressed it,  Joe  going  to  school  in  the  winter, 
and   'Cindy   in  the  summer.      .But   no  matter 


JoK's  Project.  Ill 

whose  turn  it  was  in  the  school-house,  it  was 
the  girl's  thirst  for  knowledge  that  kept  them 
at  their  best. 

"Well,"  said  Joe,  "you  see  I  thought  we 
might  get  a  student  to  board,  who  would  look 
after  the  chores,  and  perhaps  help  you  with 
your  studies,  too.  There  won't  be  much  to  do. 
I  shall  look  after  the  wood  before  I  leave,  and 
you  '11  have  everything  handier  and  plentier 
than  we  've  had  in  a  long  time." 

"That  's  true,"  sighed  the  girl,  as  they  wan- 
dered on  toward  the  spring.  The  sun  had  gone 
down,  but  the  full  October  moon  made  the 
orchard  as  light  as  day.  The  girl  put  her 
checked  apron  over  her  head,  and  shivered 
shghtly.  Joe  put  his  arm  around  her,  and  drew 
her  to  him. 

"It 's  chilly,  'Cindy,  but  I  want  to  talk  to 
you  about  these  things.  You  know  we  '11  have 
to  settle  them  ourselves,  ami  l»ring  Daddy 
AVaugh  around  to  'em  afterwards." 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  warmth  in  a  boy's 
arm,   but  'Cindy  thought  only   of  the  earnest 


112  The  Hip-roof  House. 

tones,  and  kept  saying  to  herself:  "How  good 
he  is!"  They  were  an  odd  pair  of  lovers — per- 
haps they  were  not  lovers  at  all.  Those  who 
write  about  lovers  seem  not  to  find  any  such, 
nowadays,  at  least.  They  were  not  at  all  jeal- 
ous or  suspicious,  nor  were  they  inclined  to  for- 
get that  there  were  others  in  the  world  besides 
themselves.  There  was  nothing  mean  nor  petty 
about  their  affection  for  each  other,  and  neither, 
had  any  idea  of  making  the  other  suffer,  or  of 
suffering  themselves,  because  of  their  attach- 
ment. They  talked  of  the  future  as  uncon- 
sciously as  if  they  had  but  one  life  to  parcel 
out,  and  each  had  an  equal  share  in  its  pleasures 
and  duties.  Surely  it  could  not  be  love,  for 
a  man  who  professes  to  know  more  about 
affairs  of  heart  than  anybody  else  has  written: 
"Such  things  may  once  have  happened — in 
Arcadia — but  never  in  America."  And  as  Joe 
and  'Cindy  were  in  America,  not  in  Arcadia, 
they  could  not  have  been  lovers.  Yet  one  can 
not  help  wishing  they  had  been.  It  would  be 
sweet  to  read   again   of   a   pure   love,    tainted 


Joe's  Project.  113 

neither  with  .suspicion  nor  shame,  and  to  think 
that  young-  Americans  could  believe  in  and  de- 
sire such  love.  So  let  us  believe  that  Joe  and 
'Cindy  were  real  lo\'ers  of  the  best  and  truest 
type — those  who  think  not  of  themselves  so 
much,  but  of  others  more,  as  they  stood  in  the 
orchard  and  talked.  He  told  her  of  his  oppor- 
tunity and  plans.  She  would  not  assent  until 
lie  spoke  of  going  to  school.  To  her,  knowledge 
was  the  golden  key  to  prosperity,  happiness, 
and  honor.  She  saw  at  once  that  such  an  ex- 
perience would  be  valuable  to  him,  and  with  a 
sigh  she  surrendered  her  own  sweet  dream  of 
a  happy  winter,  never  once  mentioning  that  she 
liad  been  dreaming,  lest  she  should  mar  the 
happiness  of  the  boy  who  had  suddenly  become 
much  more  of  a  man  than  any  one  but  she 
suspected. 

When  the  question  was  settled,  they  started 
to  the  house  to  submit  the  matter  to  Daddy 
AVaugh,  and  persuade  him,  if  persuasion  were 
needed,  to  concur. 


Chapter  IX. 

THE  APPLE-CROP. 

'•'T'lIE  old  orchard  is  just  outdoing  itself  tins 
A  year,  ain't  itf  said  Joe,  as  tliey  strolled 
back  under  the  laden  branches,  their  feet  evt-rv 
now  and  then  slipping  and  stumbling  over  the 
fallen  apples  that  lay  thick  among  the  rank 
herbage. 

''Yes,  indeed,"  answered  'Cindy,  "and  the 
best  of  it  is,  there  is  hardly  any  fruit  in  the 
whole  country  around.  It  seems  almost  wicked 
to  say  it,  but  I  can't  help  being  real  glad,  for 
it  makes  our  apples  worth  so  much  more.  I 
am  sorry  for  them  that  will  be  without,  but  it 
does  seem  like  a  real  Providence  that  our  trees 
should  be  so  full,  and  such  nice  fruit  too,  when 
it  is  scarce  everywhere  else.  Grandpa  says  he 
thinks  every  apple  on  the  trees  has  been  en- 
gaged by  folks  who  will  come  right  here  for 
them,  with  nothing  to  do  but  i)ick  'em  and 
measure  'em  up — no  barreling  or  hauling  at  all.'' 
lU 


The  Apple-Crop.  115 

It  was  -Cindy's  turn  to  tell  of  the  summer's 
doings,  and  she  was  to  the  full  as  enthusiastic 
about  what  had  happened  in  and  around  the 
Hip-roof  House  as  her  companion  had  been  of 
the  events  on  board  the  Queen. 

''Grandpa  says  it  '11  make  your  words  good, 
and  more  too.  He  thinks  it  '11  pay  off  a  third 
of  the  mortgage,  and  perhaps  half  of  it:  Init 
I  think  it  '11  do  more  than  that.  You  see  all 
the  apples  are  engaged  for  the  market  price  at 
the  gathering-time,  and  grandpa  has  put  it  down 
in  writing,  and  had  it  signed  every  time,  so 
there  can't  be  any  mistake  or  trouble  about  it." 

"That  was  a  good  idea,"  said  the  boy  ap- 
provingly; "that's  the  way  they  do  business 
in  the  cities." 

"0,  he  's  been  very  careful  and  anxious," 
continued  'Cindy,  "and  when  he  shows  you  his 
book  of  orders,  you  must  n't  let  him  know  that 
I  've  told  you  anything.  He  's  awfully  proud 
of  it,  and  has  kept  it  with  such  care,  saying  all 
the  time  that  with  a  boy  to  go  away  and  earn 
money,  and  a  girl  to  stay  at  home  and  take  care 


116  Thk  Hii'-RooF  House. 

of  hiiii,  the  least  he  could  do  was  to  look  after 
the  bu.siness  for  tlicin.  You  see  he  calls  it  all 
yours,  and  tells  everybody  they  are  your  apples, 
and  that  you  '11  have  to  approve  the  contracts. 
Tie  would  n't  make  no  definite  engagement  for 
the  winter  apples,  because  he  said  he  did  n't 
know  what  your  plans  were;  but  all  them  that 
spoke  for  fruit  were  told  they  could  have  what- 
ever quantity  they  named,  if  you  had  n't  made 
any  other  arrangements.  Everybody  kind  o' 
laughed  at  his  childishness,  but  said  'all  right,' 
they  'd  take  'em  on  that  condition.  They  knew, 
of  course,  that  you  would  n't  be  looking  up  a 
market  for  apples  in  Buffalo  or  any  other  big 
city." 

"Well,  that 's  just  where  they  made  a  mis- 
take," said  Joe,  proudly. 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  girl.  "You  don't 
mean  to  say  you  've  sold  'em?  That  would  be 
too  bad!  You  see,  most  of  the  folks  who  have 
bought  are  farmers  down  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county  along  the  State  road,  where 


The  Apple-Crop.  117 

there  are  no  apples  at  all  this  year.  They  've 
just  taken  a  few  bushels  apiece  for  their  fam- 
ilies. I  suspect  they  mean  them  for  a  surprise 
to  their  "wives  and  children.  I  should  hate  ever 
so  much  to  have  them  disappointed." 

''O,  I  hain't  sold  'em,''  said  Joe,  '"but  I  've 
found  out  what  the  market  price  is,  and  what 
I  can  get  for  just  as  many  as  I  am  a  mind  to 
take  down  the  lake.  I  've  got  it  in  black  and 
^vhite,  too,  from  men  who  deal  in  'em,  and  want 
'em  mighty  bad.  You  see,  there  's  hardly  any 
apples  anywhere,  and  what  there  are,  are  poor. 
One  man  said,  and  wrote  it  down  too,  that  he  'd 
take  a  thousand  barrels  if  I  'd  get  'em  there  be- 
fore !N^ovember,  so  't  he  could  ship  'em  by  canal. 
Captain  Moxom  says  he  '11  take  all  we  care  to 
send  down  to  Bulfalo  on  the  Queen  and  not 
charge  a  cent  for  freight.  That,  you  see,  will 
leave  us  just  the  market  rate  clear,  except  the 
barrels  and  hauling,  for  the  merchants  there 
take  'em  at  the  dock.  The  Golden  Sweets  and 
Harvest  apples  that  you  sent  I  got  a  dollar  a 


118  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

bushel  for;  and  if  I  Vl  known  as  nnicli  as  I 
do  now,  and  liad  the  time  to  look  aronnd,  I 
should  have  got  more." 

"You  don't  say!"  exclaimed  the  girl,  in 
amazement.  ''Why,  we  sold  'em  to  the  team- 
sters and  peoj)le  traveling  the  road  for  ten  cents 
a  peck,  and  grandpa  said  that  was  extraordi- 
nary. I  do  n't  think  he  would  ever  have 
thought  of  charging  more  'n  half  that  if  a  gen- 
tleman had  n't  stopped  the  stage  one  day,  and 
asked  for  some  apples.  He  took  a  dozen  or  so, 
and  wanted  to  know  how  much  he  should  pay. 
Grandpa  told  him  he  was  welcome  to  them; 
he  had  n't  ever  sold  apples  by  the  dozen,  he 
said,  and  did  n't  'low  he  ever  should.  Then  the 
stranger  asked  what  he  would  take  for  a  peck, 
and  when  grandpa  told  him  he  s'posed  about 
five  cents,  he  threw  me  a  quarter,  and  said  it 
was  a  sin  to  sell  such  apples  at  that  rate.  The 
driver  told  me  that  there  was  n't  any  other  ap- 
ples on  his  run,  and  said  if  I  'd  have  a  peck  or 
so  ready  every  day,  he  did  'iit  doubt  his  passen- 
gers would  take  'em  all.     So,  after  that,  I  al- 


The  Apple-Crop.  119 

ways  bad  a  basketful  ready  as  long  as  tbe  early 
apples  lasted,  and  sometimes  sold  two  or  tbree 
peeks  to  the  tra^'elers  in  tbe  stage.  After  tbat 
came  tbe  Pound  Sweets  and  tbe  Pumpkin 
Sweets  and  tbe  little  'ISTutmegs/ — tbe  nicest  tins 
y(>ar  tbey  ever  were.  I  tried  to  save  a  few  for 
you,  but  am  afraid  tbey  bave  all  rotted.  1  '11  see 
wben  we  go  in.  Then  came  tbe  Pearmains  and 
tbe  Fall  Pippins  and  tbe  Pellybounds."  'Cindy 
bad  never  beard  of  Belles  et  bonnes,  and  would 
bave  been  surprised  to  know  tbat  sbe  was  talk- 
ing Frencli.  *' After  a  Avbile  1  began  to  ask 
fifteen  cents  for  a  basketful,  but  I  did  not  let 
grandpa  know  I  got  more  tban  ten.  I  bope 
it  was  n't  wrong.  Xobody  ever  complained,  and 
I  was  afraid  to  say  anytbing  about  it,  for  fear 
be  would  n't  let  me  do  it. 

''But  tbe  teamsters  going  to  and  from  tbe 
barl)(>r  took  tbe  most  of  tbom.  You  know  tbey 
used  always  to  stop  and  1k'1|)  themselves  to  'Old 
Killis  AVaugb's'  ajtples  just  as  free  as  if  tbey  'd 
been  tbeir  own.  Tbey  began  to  do  tbe  same 
tbis  year,  and  I  kept  begging  grandpa  to  put  up 


120  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

a  sign  or  get  a  dog,  or  contrive  some  way  to 
stop  'em,  but  he  would  n't.  Seemed  as  if  lie 
was  ashamed  to  think  anybody  shoidd  n't  be  free 
to  take  jnst  as  many  apples  from  the  orchard 
at  the  Hip-roof  House  as  they  wanted.  *We 
never  forbid  'em  in  your  grandma's  time,'  he 
would  say,  'and  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  doing 
it  now.' 

''They  stripped  the  trees  by  the  roadside, 
and  seemed  likely  to  run  off  with  all  that  were 
ripe,  till  one  day  I  could  n't  stand  it  any  longer. 
Two  or  three  men  had  stopped,  and  were  pick- 
ing 'em  up  in  baskets,  while  one  was  up  in  the 
tree  shaking  them  down.  I  went  out  and  told 
them  they  must  n't  take  our  apples.  They 
laughed,  and,  though  they  were  n't  real  impu- 
dent, they  did  n't  pay  no  attention  to  me,  but 
just  talked  slangy,  and  went  right  on  picking  up 
the  apples,  kind  of  saying  at  me  that  they  took 
'('111  because  they  wanted  'em,  and  that  was 
reason  enough.  One  of  the  teams  had  on  a  load 
of  cheese,  and  as  they  would  n't  stop  taking  the 
apples,  I  climbed  over  the  fence,  got  up  in  the 


Thk  Applk-Ckop.  121 

wagon,  rolled  out  one  of  the  cheeses,  and  started 
toward  the  house  with  it. 

"The  man  it  belonged  to  happened  to  be  the 
one  in  the  tree,  and  did  n't  see  nie  till  the  others 
hollered  to  him  that  I  was  carrying  it  off. 
Then  he  sputtered  and  stormed  and  cursed,  and 
told  them  to  stop  me.  They  asked  what  T  was 
doing.  I  told  them  as  they  had  told  me;  I  was 
taking  the  cheese  because  I  wanted  it,  and  if 
that  was  a  good  enough  reason  for  taking  apples, 
I  thought  it  was  good  enough  for  taking  cheese. 
So  I  went  on  to  the  house,  and  locked  the  cheese 
in  the  pantry.  Presently,  along  came  the  team- 
ster, swearing  awfully  and  vowing  he  'd  get 
out  a  warrant  for  stealing.  That  frightened 
me,  and  I  think  I  would  have  gone  and  given 
it  back  right  away;  but  when  the  others  came 
in  and  saw  grandpa,  and  how  bad  off  he  was, 
they  seemed  abashed  like,  and  tried  not  to  let 
Ihe  first  one  talk  so  bad,  but  ho  kept  right  on 
swearing," 

"I  wish  I  had  been  there,"  said  the  boy, 
clenching  his  lists,  with  flashing  eyes. 


122  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"O,  I  would  n't  Lave  had  it  for  the  world! 
I  do  believe  they  would  have  killed  you!" 

"I\ot  much,"  was  the  answer.    "But  how  did 
it  end?" 

"Well,  it  happened  that  just  about  that  time 
Lawyer  ]\Iarvin,  who  represents  the  man  that 
holds  the  mortgage,  came  in  to  get  some  apples 
himself.  When  he  found  out  what  was  going 
on,  you  just  ought  to  've  heard  the  setting  up  he 
a'ave  those  men.  Thev  'd  been  talking  bad 
enough,  but  he  talked  a  deal  worse,  only  it  was 
all  proper,  you  know.  He  told  'em  how  things 
were;  what  hard  times  we  were  having  trying 
to  pay  off  the  mortgage;  how  Killis  AVaugh 
had  set  out  and  nursed  and  cared  for  the  or- 
chard, and  raised  and  given  away  'most  all  the 
apple-trees  in  the  country  round,  never  refusing 
anybody  all  the  apples  they  could  eat  or  carry 
away  in  their  hands  or  pockets.  Then  he  called 
them  ^cowards'  and  'hogs'  and  'thieves;'  told 
them  that  I  had  done  just  right,  and  that  if 
they  did  n't  pay  grandpa  ten  dollars,  he  'd  have 


The  Apple-Crop.  123 

a  warrant  against  tlieiu  for  stealing,  as  soon  as 
lie  conld  drive  over  to  Squire  Bartlet  and  swear 
it  ont.  Grandpa,  lie  kept  protesting,  but  Mr. 
^Marvin  was  jnst  grand.  I  did  n't  know  a  man 
eonld  make  other  men  so  afraid  of  liim  by  liis 
words." 

"You  'd  ought  to  see  Captain  Moxom,"  said 
Joe,  anxious  for  the  fame  of  his  hero. 

''A\^ell,  he  could  n't  beat  Mr.  Marvin,  I  'm 
sure.  AVhy,  those  men  just  backed  out  of  the 
house,  and  after  a  while  came  back  as  humble 
as  you  please  with  the  ten  dollars.  And  one  of 
'em  said  he  'd  a  good  deal  rather  pay  that  much 
more,  than  have  it  known  he  'd  been  in  such  a 
dirty  mean  scrape.  They  did  n't  mean  any- 
thing wrong,  he  said;  were  just  thoughtless- 
like,  and  hoped  Mr.  Waugh  and  the  young  lady 
would  forgive  them  for  their  rudeness,  and  for- 
get it.  You  see,  I  've  got  to  be  a  young  lady 
since  you  went  away,  sir,"  she  ad(h'd,  (•()([uet- 
tishly. 

''Well,  you  ought  to  be  after  that.     It  was 


324  Thk  Hir-KOOF  House. 

rather  hard  to  make  them  pay  so  much,  though," 
said  the  boy,  whose  earnings  had  made  him 
sympathetic   with   capitaL 

"That 's  Avhat  grandpa  thouglit.  He  said  he 
did  n't  suppose  they  liad  taken  more  'u  a  dolhir's 
worth  of  apples,  and  he  wasn't  going  to  take 
money  of  a  neighbor,  just  because  he  'd  done 
wrong  unthoughtedly. " 

"They  ought  to  have  paid  for  acting  so,- 
though." 

"That 's  what  Lawyer  Marvin  said,  and  pro- 
posed a  compromise,  as  he  called  it;  that  they 
should  each  take  five  dollars  worth  of  apples  at 
the  market  price.  This  they  all  agreed  to,  the 
man  that  owned  the  cheese  saying  he  M  throw 
that  in.  So,  after  it  was  all  settled,  grandpa 
asked  them  to  stay  to  dinner,  and  Lawyer  Mar- 
vin, he  staid  too.  AVe  had  lots  of  eggs  and 
ham  and  potatoes,  and  I  made  some  biscuits 
and  had  a  big  loaf  of  Indian  bread,  a  plate  of 
beans  baked  the  Saturday  before,  and  this  was 
Monday,  and  I  have  n't  seen  such  grand  times 
here  since  I  can  remember." 


Thk  Apple-Crop.  12o 

''That  was  good,"  said  Joe,  heartily.  "I 
b'lieve  Daddy  AVanjih  '11  get  around  yet.  If 
folks  only  realized  what  he  's  done,  and  how 
fi'ood  he  is,  there  would  n't  be  no  doubt  of  it — " 

"Lawyer  ]\[arvin  said  just  that,"  interrupted. 
'Cindy.  "And  the  men  from  down  the  road, 
agreed  with  him,  too;  and  they  're  coming  for 
their  apples  this  week.  O,  they  were  real  nice 
men  when  you  come  to  know  them,  but  they 
frightened  me  awfully  at  first." 

"Naturally,"  said  the  boy,  patronizingly. 

"But  the  best  thing  about  it  was  after  they 
had  gone,"  said  the  girl,  flushing  even  in  the 
moonlight.  "I  went  into  the  pantry,  and  found 
they  \l  come  round,  I  s'pose  after  we  thought 
they  had  gone,  tore  the  slats  off  the  window, 
and  put  in  two  other  cheeses,  as  big  again  as 
the  one  I  took,  and  left  a  note,  saying  they  were 
a  present  to  the  young  lady  Svho  fell  among 
thieves.'    AVas  n't  that  good?" 

"First  rate,"  assented  Joe. 

"But  that  wasn't  all.  They  told  about  it, 
all  u[)  and  down  the  road,  and  there  hasn't  a 


126  The  Hip-rook  House. 

man  nor  a  boy  toiu-lied  one  of  those  apples 
since.  I  do  n't  know  exactly,  but  I  think 
grandpa  must  have  something  near  lif ty  dollars 
in  the  drawer  under  his  work-bench,  and  he 
thinks  there  '11  be  four  hundred  bushels  of 
winter  apples,  which  at  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  a 
bushel—" 

"A  quarter  of  a  dollar  a  bushel!"  exclaimed 
Joe.     "We  '11  see  about  that!" 


Chapter  X. 

DRIVING  A  BARGAIN. 

IT  was  a  busy  week  at  the  Hip-roof  House  that 
followed  Joe's  return.  Both  Daddy  Waugh 
and  Joe  were  fearful  that  their  anticipations 
might  be  too  great;  Imt  neither  had  begun  to 
estimate  the  real  yield  of  the  old  orcdiard,  and 
the  week's  work  only  showed  that  another  was 
waiting  to  be  done.  During  the  seven  days, 
however,  Joe  rose  from  the  rank  of  "Killis 
AVaugh's  Boy"  to  be  the  undoubted  head  of  the 
establishment.  Daddy  AVaugh  alone  was  un- 
aware of  his  kindly  deposition.  He  still  planned 
and  planned  exceedingly  well,  as  he  had  always 
done — for  others;  the  only  trouble  with  his  life 
having  been  an  inability  to  carry  out  his  own 
designs.  Fortunately  this  duty  was  now  in- 
trusted to  one  who  had  been  trained  under  the 
Captain   of  the   Queen. 

Two  of  the  neighbors  had  l^een  engaged  long 

127 


12S  TiiE  Hip-KOOF  House. 

in  advance,  and  were  on  liand  briglit  and  early 
on  the  ]\l«in<lay  njunnut;'  after  Joe's  return. 
One  of  tlieni  brouglit  Ins  \vai;(>n  and  a  team  of 
nnilos  to  assist  in  taking  tlie  frnit  to  the  barn, 
where  it  was  to  be  stored  until  sold,  or  the  com- 
ing of  cold  weather.  Probably  Daddy  Waugh 
had  never  in  his  life  given  so  many  orders  as 
his  active  executive  suggested,  revised,  and 
transmitted  to  the  orchard  from  the  old  man's  • 
seat  upon  the  porch,  during  the  momentous 
week. 

Before  the  first  day  ended.  Daddy  AVaugh 
had  received  a  new  title,  and  was  called  '^Cap- 
tain,'' as  generally  as  he  had  previously  been 
known  as  "Squire"  or  "Daddy."  Joe  had  been 
so  accustomed  to  refer  to  the  "Captain"  as  the 
source  of  authority,  that  when  he  took  charge 
of  the  workers  in  the  orchard  under  Daddy 
Waugh's  instructions,  he  unconsciously  con- 
tinued the  old  habit,  saying: 

"The  'Captain'  says  we  're  to  begin  on  this 
tree  of  'Signiferders'  (Seek-no-Furthers)  'cause 
they  're  right  here  in  the  way,   an  '11  get  all 


Driving  a  Bargain.  129 

Iriunpcd  and  sina^^licd  up  if  we  carry  the  otliers 
over  'em.'' 

"That 's  the  Captain's  orders,  is  it?"  asked 
one  of  the  hired  men,  Avith  a  good-natured 
smile.  The  other  chuckled,  and  'Cindy,  who 
was  standing  by,  her  sleeves  rolled  up  and  her 
dish-pan  under  her  arm  waiting  to  see  the  day's 
work  begun  before  she  commenced  the  unusual 
task  of  providing  dinner  for  so  many — 'Cindy 
laughed  outright. 

''Guess  you  forgot  you  were  n't  on  the 
Queen,  didn't  you,  Joef  asked  the  neighbor. 

"Xo,  I  did  n't,"  said  the  boy,  promptly,  but 
hardly  truthfully,  it  is  to  be  feared. 

"Well,  who  do  you  call  Captain  when 
you  're  ashore  ?"  asked  the  man  who  had  first 
spoken, 

"Daddy  Waugh,  of  course,"  answered  Joe. 
"He  's  captain  and  owner;  'Cindy  's  cook;  I  'm 
cabin-boy,  and  you  and  your  mules  is  'all 
hands.'  " 

This  sally  was  greeted  by  a  burst  of  laughter. 
The  man  who  had  made  the  inipiiry  was  a  bit 


180  The  Hip-roof  House. 

of  a  waii'  liinisclf,  and,  tlioui;li  lie  hanllv  relished 
the  classitication,  he  admitted  the  fairness  of 
the  hit.  'J'he  other  man  was  one  of  those  who 
never  have  a  fnnny  thoni>ht,  except  by  sugges- 
tion. To  liim,  the  idea  that  his  companion  had 
been  trapped  in  his  own  joke  was  indescribably 
hidicrous.  He  was  a  man  of  middle  age,  round- 
faced,  thick  set,  and  noted  throughout  the  neigh- 
borhood as  good-natured  and  hard  working.  His 
)iame  was  Wellman — most  inappropriately  pro- 
named  Melancthon.  He  was  eating  an  apple 
when  the  conversation  began,  having  picked  a 
soft  one  from  among  the  fallen  Seek-no-Fur- 
thers,  which  he  carefully  pared  with  a  large  jack- 
knife,  and  was  transferring  to  his  mouth  in 
liberal  sections  with  the  same  instrument.  His 
teeth  were  rather  poor,  and  mastication  was  not 
only  a  laborious  but  a  somewhat  noisy  pro- 
cess. AVhen  the  force  of  Joe's  reply  became 
fully  apparent  to  him,  a  (piick  inhalation  suc- 
ceeded by  a  sudden  exhalation,  carried  with  it  a 
shower  of  fragments  of  half-masticated  apple, 


Driving  a  Bargain.  131 

and  lie  coniiiiGneed  coiigliing  almost  as  soon  as 
lie  began  to  laugh. 

'*0 — you've — got — it — now  I"  lie  choked, 
pointing  his  finger  at  his  companion,  coughing 
and  laughing  loud  enough  to  be  heard  a  mile 
away,  the  half-eaten  apple  in  one  hand  and  the 
knife  in  the  other,  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  his  face 
red  with  exertion. 

Wellman's  mirth  was  contagious.  The  day 
seemed  al^out  to  open  with  undisturbed  gayety 
and  the  most  cordial  relations  between  the 
young  foreman  and  his  hands — hands  who,  it 
must  be  remembered,  were  very  jealous  in  that 
day  of  oversight  and  direction — had  not  another 
party  made  his  appearance  on  the  scene.  'Siah 
Perkins  had  come  around  the  corner  of  the 
house  during  the  general  mirth,  and  at  its  con- 
clusion, asked: 

"Well,  what's  the  fun^  I  heard  the  great 
harvestin'  was  to  begin  to-day,  an'  thought  I  'd 
just  come  over  an'  see  if  the  neighborhood  was 
all  iioiii'  to  uet  rich  ulf  a  huiidied  or  two  old 


132  The  Hip-roof  House. 

ai)ple-trees.  Ye  do  n't  seem  to  have  iiuule  mucli 
lieadway,  yit.  Seems  ez  ef  ye  must  have  got 
cliokcd  all  'round  on  the  fust  a})ple  ye  picked — 
an'  that  a  win'fall,  I  should  jedge,"  looking  at 
the  half-eaten  one  in  AVellman's  hand. 

That  Avorthy  had  recovered  his  breath,  and 
was  nettled  by  Perkins's  remark. 

''Well,  we  hain't  done  much,  yet,"  he  said; 
''but  we  're  gettin'  ready  for  work  in  a  way  you 
don't  often  try." 

"Yes — how  's  that?"  asked  Perkins,  with  his 
nasal  drawl. 

"Havin'  a  good  hiugli  at  a  square  joke,"  re- 
sponded Wellman. 

"Yes — one  of  Hi  Barnes's  jokes,  I  s'pose?" 

"Xot  much,"  said  Barnes,  who  had  taken  a 

basket,  and  was  picking  from  the  lower  limbs 

i 
of    the    Seek-no-Further    tree.       "Not    much, 

Sc^uire,  Hi  Barnes  was  at  the  wrong  end  of  this 

joke,   and  got  hit  between  the   eyes.      That 's 

what  came  so  near  choking  AVellman  to  death." 

'Cindy  had  gone  into  the  house  on  the  ap- 


Driving  a  Bargain.  133 

jiearance  of  Perkins,  and  Joe  having  placed  a 
ladder  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  climbed  into  it 
to  begin  picking. 

"]\Iust  have  been  a  good  j«>ke  if  AVellman  got 
it  off,"  said  Perkins,  with  the  sneer  that  char- 
acterized all  he  said. 

"But  as  it  happens,  it  was  n't  AVellman's," 
replied  that  individual,  still  more  tartly. 

''Xot  yours?  Whose  could  it  'a'  been?  The 
gal  's  rutlier  young  fer  sech  things." 

Joe  dropped  his  basket  half  way  up  the  lad- 
der, and  came  down  after  it.  His  face  was 
white,  but  he  said  nothing. 

Barnes,  who  was  quick-witted  enough  to 
divine  Perkins's  intention  to  annoy,  answered: 

"Xo,  it  was  Joe's.  He  's  come  home  from 
the  lake  mighty  smart,  an'  took  me  up  so  quick 
it  'mosf  made  my  head  swim.'' 

"You  do  n't  tell,''  drawled  Perkins.  "I 
heard  he  's  come  out  mightily,  considerin'  he 
was  raised  by  Killis  AVaugh,  an'  was  a  foundlin' 
to  beffin  with.     I  see  he  can  climb  a  ladder  as 


134  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

well  as  any  sailor,  cf  it 's  .sijlicl  an'  lie  has  two 
fhances  at  it."' 

Joe  disappeared  in  the  tree  just  as  Perkins 
said  this,  and  the  allusion  to  his  sailor-like  dex- 
terity raised  a  ripple  of  laughter. 

"But  what  was  the  joke?"  Perkins  continued. 
"I  'ni  dying  to  know." 

Barnes,  still  hoping  to  mollify  the  newcomer, 
told  the  story  with  various  embellishments. 

"So,  that  was  it?"  said  Perkins.  "Would  n't 
have  been  so  bad  if  it  had  been  the  truth.  You 
an'  AVellman  may  do  well  enough  to  put  along- 
side with  the  mules,  but  old  man  Killis  Waugh 
ain't  the  owner,  not  by  a  jng-full." 

Joe's  hands  trembled  as  he  pui  tl>e  yellowish- 
green,  red-streaked  apples  into  his  basket. 

"He  not  only  ain't  the  owner,  bnt  he  hain't 
not  anv  more  title  here  'n  one  of  von.  He  may 
have  what  the  lawyers  call  an  equity,  but  even 
that  ain't  no  ways  sartin." 

"  'T  ain't  your  fault  he  's  got  that,"  said  the 
bov  in  the  tree. 


Driving  a  Bargain.  135 

The  men  laiiglieJ. 

"Highty-tiglity,"  sneered  Perkins.  "How 
grand  folks  is  gittin'.  ^ext  we  know,  neigh- 
bors, ^ve  '11  have  to  take  off  our  hats  to  the 
paupers  in  the  poor-honse." 

The  laugh  died  down,  and  the  men  pulled 
with  needless  bluster  at  the  overhanging 
branches. 

*'0f  course,  it 's  all  my  fault,  though  I  did  n't 
do  nothing  only  what  the  law  allowed.  I 
wanted  my  money — needed  it — an'  who  's  goin' 
to  blame  me  for  gettin'  it^  AVas  it  any  of  my 
fault  that  Killis  AVaugh  had  n't  sense  enough 
to  take  care  of  what  he  had,  and  so  got  in  debt, 
and  after  that  took  to  keepin'  paupers  free  of 
charge  to  the  county^  He  never  was  of  any 
account,  an'  has  lived  so  long  on  the  charity  of 
them  he  owes,  that  I  s'pose  he  's  just  sense 
enough  left  to  think  he  owns  the  whole  earth. 
That 's  the  way  with  that  sort  generally." 

The  boy  came  down  from  the  tree  without 
the  aid  of  a  ladder,  and  walked  straiuht  towards 


lo6  The  Hip-roof  House. 

the  speaker.  His  eyes  flashed,  his  clieeks  were 
])ale,  and  his  fists  clenched. 

"'Mr.  Perkins,  you  can't  speak  that  way  about 
Daddy  AVaugh  'round  liere,"  he  said,  firmly. 

"Can't,  eh?"  queried  the  inan,  who,  though 
evidently  surprised,  had  no  thought  of  modify- 
ing his  language.  ^'I  'd  like  to  know  who  's  to 
hender  me  if  I  choose  to  do  as  I  'm  a  mind  to?" 

"I  will,"  said  Joe,  coming  closer. 

^'Better  keep  off,  bub,"  said  Perkins,  flour- 
ishing a  switch  he  held.  '"T  ctit  this  un  the  way, 
-not  thinkin'  I  'd  have  any  use  for  it,  but  it  "11 
do  to  lick  one  of  Killis  "Waugh's  beggar  brats 
as  well  as  anything." 

"Mr.  Perkins,"  said  Joe,  deliberately,  though 
his  voice  trembled  with  rage,  '"I  do  n't  mind 
what  you  say  about  me,  but  you  shan't  abuse 
Daddy  AVaugli  where  I  am.  You  've  got  to  be 
respectful,  or  keep  off  the  premises." 

"Xot  till  somebody  comes  that 's  able  to  put 
me  off,"  said  Perkins,  switching  the  sapling 
in  the  boy's  face. 

"AVal,  tliat  's  right  now,"  put  in  AVellman, 


Driving  a  Bargain.  137 

tlirowing  down  his  basket  and  coming  forward, 
his  hands  twitcdiing  nervously. 

"AVhat  business  is  it  of  yours,  Lank  Well- 
man^"  asked  Perkins,  insolently. 

''Do  n't  try  none  o'  yer  brass  on  me,  'Siah 
Perkins.  I  'm  not  goin'  to  stan'  b}^  an'  hear 
you  abuse  the  boy,  nor  Ivillis  AVaugli  either. 
The  boy  's  doin'  his  duty,  which  is  more  'n  any- 
body ever  accused  you  o'  tryin'  to  do.  I  do  n't 
want  no  trouble,  but  I  ain't  afraid  o'  ye.  You 
jest  git  out  o'  here  now,  or  I  shall  help  you  in  a 
way  you  won't  like." 

"You  'd  better  tend  to  yer  apple-pickin'. 
That 's  what  ye  're  hired  to  do." 

"Do  n't  tempt  me  to  put  my  hand  on  ye, 
'Siah  Perkins,"  said  the  sturdy  farmer,  advanc- 
ing threateningly.  "I  'm  a  peaceable  man,  but 
I  might  be  inclined  to  settle  some  old  scores 
if  I  should." 

"Better  travel,  Perkins,"  shouted  Barnes. 
"  'T  ain't  safe  to  fool  with  Wellman  when  he 
gets  his  dander  up." 

"I  came  here  on  business,  and  I've  a  right 


13H  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

to  stay  till  I  git  through  with  it,"  answered  Per- 
kins sulkily,  retreating  a  step  or  two. 

"State  your  business  then,  or  leave,"  said 
AVelhnan,  following  him  up. 

"My  business  is  with  Killis  AVaugh." 

"Think  you  can  abuse  him  'cause  he  's  old 
and  a  cripple,  do  ye?  If  ye 've  got  any  busi- 
ness, say  what  't  is." 

"I  shall  go  in  the  house  and  tell  it  to  Mr. 
Waugh,"  said  Perkins,  with  dignity. 

""Kot  m-m-ni-much,  you  won't,"  came  a  voice 
from  the  back  door,  Avhich  suddenly  framed  the 
gaunt  form  and  stubby  face  of  Jesse  Xewlin. 

"What  have  you  got  to  do  with  it?"  asked 
Perkins,  turning  on  the  newcomer. 

"Xothin'  m-m-much,"  said  Xewlin,  stepping 
down  the  path,  exj)ectorating  vigorously  as  he 
came,  "only  that  b-b-boy  's  a  mate  o'  mine,  ye 
know,  an'  there  do  n't  nobody  that  sails  on  the 
Queen  allow  any  outsider  to  pick  on  one  o'  her 
men — m-more  especially  on  that  b-b-b-boy. 
T)  've  understand?" 


Driving  a  Bargain.  189 

It  would  have  been  difficult  to  mistake  the 
mate's  words,  accompanied  though  they  were 
with  a  liberal  garniture  of  oaths. 

''Better  go  'fore  ther  's  any  more  fuss,"  ad- 
vised AVellman,  transformed  at  once  into  a 
peacemaker  by  the  advent  of  Xewlin.  "These 
sailors  are  mighty  rough  sometimes." 

"But  I  came  -to  buy  apples,"  protested  Per- 
kins, meekly. 

''Took  a  queer  way  to  trade,"  grinned 
Barnes. 

"Better  go — better  go,"  repeated  Wellman, 
shaking  his  head  warningly,  as  he  picked  up  his 
basket  and  returned  to  his  work. 

'"But  I  've  got  to  have  'em,"  again  protested 
Perkins. 

"You  have,  eh?  Then  you  M  better  go  where 
ye  can  git  'em,"  said  the  mate.  "Did  n't  ye 
hear  Joe  say  ye  could  n't  git  'em  here?" 

"What 's  he  got  to  do  with  it?  They  ain't 
his." 

"Wal,  he  represents  the  (^ip'n,  an'  there  ain't 


140  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

no  man  goin'  to  question  anything  Joe's  Cap'n 
says  while  I  'ni  around." 

"What  's  the  reason  I  can't  have  'em?  Ain't 
they  for  sale?"  asked  Perkins,  whiningly. 

"Xot  to  yon,"  said  Joe. 

"But  I  '11  pay  a  good  price,"  continued 
Perkins,  anxiously.  ''Come  now,  I  '11  take  back 
all  I  said,  an'  pay  thirty  cents  a  bushel  for  a 
hundred  bushels." 

"You  can't  have  a  bushel  for  less  than  one 
dollar,"  answered  Joe,  stoutly. 

"But  I  ve  got  to  have  'em!  Lord  bless  ye, 
1  've  contracted  'em." 

''Wal,  then,  pay  for  'em,"  said  Newlin. 
''Ye  've  heard  the  price." 

^'O,  I  can't  pay  any  such  price  as  that." 

"Then  quit  talkin'.  Joe  's  name'd  his  hggers, 
an'  I  '11  bet  he  knows  what  he  's  about." 

''But  a  dollar  's  jest  what  I  was  to  git  for 
'em,  barreled  and  delivered  at  the  harboi',  do  n't 
ye  see?"  said  Perkins,  piteously. 

''What  on  airth  was  ye  sellin'  what  ye  had  n't 
got,    for?"    asked    Xewlin.       "Ye    knew    there 


Driving  a  Bargain.  141 

Avas  n't  any  ai)ples  in  a  clay's  drive  in  any  di- 
rection, only  these." 

"That 's  jest  it/'  was  the  reply.  "You  see, 
it  was  I  had  the  mortgage,  and  I  made  no  sort 
of  doubt  but  what  I  'd  have  the  place,  too, 
before  this  time.  So  when  a  city  man  offered 
me  one  dollar  a  bushel  for  two  hundred  bushels 
to  be  delivered  at  the  harbor  this  week,  I  took 
him  up,  an'  signed  writings  to  that  effect.  Of 
course,  as  I  did  n't  git  the  place  it  upset  all  my 
calculations,  an'  if  I  do  n't  deliver  the  apples, 
the  man  that  bought  'em  '11  be  onto  me  for 
damages." 

"An'  good  enough  for  ye,"  said  the  mate. 
"Xear  's  I  can  see  ye,  ye  've  acted  like  a  mean, 
dirty  sneak,  an'  deserve  to  smart  for  it — d  'ye 
hear?     Smart  for  it — smart  for  it,  I  say." 

"That  's  so,"  said  AVellmaii  to  Barnes,  with 
a  shrug. 

"That 's  what  a  man  gits  fer  actin'  like  a  fool 
an'  then  tellin'  on  't,"  put  in  Barnes,  dryly. 

At  this  AVellman  was  roused  to  approving 
laughter. 


142  The  Hip-rook  House. 

"The  hoy  's  got  him/'  he  said,  "and  you  see 
lie  ain't  goiii'  to  let  up  on  him.  I  would  n't 
neither." 

''Psliaw,  yes,  you  would.  You  would  let  a 
rat  out  of  a  trap  if  he  squealed." 

''May  be  that 's  so,"  admitted  Wellman.  ''I 
ean't  stand  such  things, — never  could.  Believe 
I  '11  tell  Joe  not  to  be  too  hard  on  the  fellow." 

"You  let  the  boj^  alone.  He  knows  his  busi- 
ness and  liis  man,  too." 

But  the  kind-hearted  neighbor  could  not  re- 
strain his  desire  to  intercede,  even  for  the  man 
with  whom  he  had  "some  old  scores"  to  settle. 
"I  say,  Joe,"  he  said,  coming  close  to  the  boy, 
"could  n't  ye  let  up  on  him  a  little?" 

The  boy  looked  up  sidewise,  and  said  through 
his  teeth: 

"Xot  a  single  cent!" 

"Ye  hear  that,"  said  iSTewlin  to  Perkins. 
"Now  ef  ye  want  to  buy  apples,  here  's  yer 
chance.  Apples  is  plenty,  an'  the  market 's 
good.     What 'd  ye  say?" 

"I  '11  .tell   ye,    Joe,    do  n't   let 's   have   hard 


Driving  a  Bargain.  148 

feelin's  itow;  't  ain't  neighborly.  I'll  let  ye 
Lave  tlie  contract  out  an'  out,  an'  not  charge 
a  cent  fer  it." 

^^Do  n't  want  it.  Got  just  as  good  offers  in 
my  pocket,  and  can  do  better  yet.  You  see  the 
Queen  carries  our  apples  for  nothing,"  said  the 
boy,  proudly. 

''That 's  jest  what  she  does,  gentlemen,"  ex- 
claimed Xewlin.  ''Heard  the  Cap'n  say  so, 
myself.  By  George,  I  never  thought  of  it,  but 
it 's  jest  bringin'  the  city  here  for  the  boy,  ain't 
it^  That  ends  it.  AVhat  d'ye  say?  I  can't 
wait,  but  I  've  got  ter  see  this  matter  settled 
'fore  I  go,  ef  Mis'  Xevv'lin  takes  the  last  hair 
off  when  I  git  back." 

"I  s'pose  I  '11  have  to  take  'em,"  sighed  Per- 
kins, ''unless  I  can  see  Killis  Waugh.  He 
would  n't  ever  treat  a  neighbor  so." 

"Why,  you  just  said  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  apples,"  laughed  Barnes. 

''Well,  I  s'pose  he  hain't,  but  he  might  in- 
duce Joe  to  be  a  little  reasonable.  I  do  n't 
know  's  the  boy  's  got  any  better  right  'n  the 


144  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

old  mail,  but  lie  seems  to  have  everybody  on  his 
side,"  snarled  Perkins. 

So  it  was  arranged  that  Perkins  should  take 
two  hundred  bushels  at  a  dollar  a  bushel  in  the 
orchard,  and  should  pay  cash  when  picked  and 
delivered.  It  was  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  that  region  that  such  a  price  had  been  paid 
for  apples,  and  the  story  of  Si  Perkins's  trade 
with  a  boy  is  a  matter  of  tradition  yet. 

JSTewlin  had  driven  over  to  tell  Joe  he  had 
written  the  Captain  that  he  could  not  return 
at  the  end  of  the  week,  but  would  have  to  re- 
main at  least  one  more.  "You  see,''  he  said, 
with  a  grim  attempt  at  a  smile,  "T  found  I  'd 
got  to  git  Mis'  Xewlin  settled  for  the  winter,  jest 
a  leetle  better  'n  she  'd  been  ef  I  come  home, 
or  else  I  need  n't  ever  look  for  quarters  there 
agin.  Xow,  that  can't  be  done  in  a  week.  So 
1  wrote  to  the  C'ap'n,  an'  told  him  from  what  I 
heered  I  jedged  you  'd  have  your  hands  full  for 
about  the  same  time;  an'  he  need  n't  be  lookin' 
for  either  of  us  till  the  next  trip.  But  ef  you 
keep  on  makin'  sech  trades  as  this  here,  you  '11 


Driving  a  Bargain.  145 

be  Ijiiyiir  up  the  (^ueen,  out  'n  out,  or  settiu' 
up  an  opposition,  'fore  long." 

"That  's  what  I  mean  to  do,"  laughed  Joe, 
"but  not  till  Cap'n  Moxom  gits  through  with 
her." 

Xewlin  drove  home,  and  Joe  returned  to  the 
orchard  to  find  himself  already  regarded  as  one 
born  to  success.  There  was  no  questioning  his 
authority,  nor  inclination  to  disregard  his  di- 
rections after  that  day.  Before  the  first  week 
was  ended,  it  became  a  common  saying  in  the 
neighborhood  that  "that  boy  Joe  was  a  driver," 
ami  "no  fool  either."  Some  even  went  so  far 
as  to  say  that  he  was  "doin'  better  for  old  man 
Killis  than  that  worthy  had  ever  done  for  him- 
self." 'Cindy  grew  very  proud  of  her  play- 
mate, and  when  they  figured  it  all  up  just  be- 
fore his  departure — for  he  determined  to  report 
on  board  the  Queen  at  the  specified  time 
whether  Xewlin  did  or  not — they  found  that 
they  would  be  able  to  pay  two  hundred  ami 
fifty  dollars  on  the  hated  mortgage,  and  both 
the  u'irl  and  Daddy  AVaugh  looketl  ui>on  Joe 
lu 


146  The  Hip-roof  House. 

as  a  sort  of  (loinostic  li(»ro.  But  lie  would  not 
listen  to  tlicir  praise. 

^'Wait  a  wliile,"  lie  said;  "wait  until  it  's  all 
paid  off.  I  '11  take  what  we  can  spare  to  Lawyer 
^[arvin  to-morrow,  and  find  just  what  the  bal- 
ance is.  I  've  an  idea  we  '11  lift  the  whole  be- 
fore you  know  it.  Remember  there  's  a  good 
lot  of  apples  yet,  after  all  that  '11  be  needed  to 
fill  your  contracts,  gran'pa,  and  I  mean  to  make 
them  count.  We  'd  better  save  money  enough  to 
barrel  'em  up  and  store  'em  on  the  barn  floor, 
so  't  I  can  send  for  them  any  day.  AVellman 
will  tend  to  that,  and  haul  them  when  we  want 
them." 

That  night  Daddy  Waugh  dreamed  the  mort- 
gage was  paid  off,  and  the  Hip-roof  House  trans- 
formed into  a  sumptuous  palace,  and  Joe  and 
'Cindy  the  king  and  queen  of  the  new  realm. 
It  had  been  many  a  year  since  he  had  known 
such  happiness  asleep  or  awake. 


Chapter  XI. 
THE  CAPTAIN'S  ORDERS.       ' 

IT  was  nearly  sundown  on  the  ]\Ion(lay  ns- 
signed  for  Joe's  departure,  wlien  lie  set  out 
to  drive  to  the  harbor,  where  he  was  to  meet 
the  Queen  on  -her  downward  trip  some  time 
the  next  morning.  The  time  was  not  very  ex- 
act. ''Between  three  o'clock  and  sunrise,"  was 
as  definite  a  statement  as  Xewlin  would  venture 
to  make  in  regard  to  the  Queen's  arrival.  One 
thing  was  sure ;  she  would  not  wait.  Other  boats 
had  been  known  to  wait  for  passengers;  but  the 
Queen,  if  she  had  but  one  aboard,  got  him  to 
his  destination  as  soon  as  possible.  The  captain's 
idea  of  duty  to  the  traveling  public  was  a  curious 
one  for  those  times.  He  held  that  he  owed  more 
to  the  passenger  aboard  than  to  the  one  Avho  was 
coming,  and  was  just  as  nnich  Ijound  to  make 
his  best  time  for  one  as  for  a  thousand.  So  Joe 
started  the  night  Ix-foro. 

147 


14»  The  Hip-kook  House. 

There  had  been  so  much  to  <hi,  and  her  time 
had  been  so  fullv  oeeupied  during  Joe's  brief 
sojourn  at  home,  that  'Cindy  had  no  opportunity 
to  attend  to  the  thousand  little  things  she  had 
designed  for  his  comfort.  She  had  not  expected 
him  to  be  away  all  winter,  and  bemoaned  the 
fact  that  she  had  not  prepared  his  stockings  and 
mittens,  and  all  that  would  be  needful  for  his 
comfort  during  the  long  months  lie  would  be 
shut  up  in  the  Queen  in  the  frozen  harbor  at 
Buffalo.  It  seemed  to  her  a  very  desperate 
outlook,  and  when  the  kit  was  at  length  packed, 
and  she  came  to  say  good-bye  to  him,  she  felt 
almost  as  badly  as  if  he  had  been  going  on  a 
voyage  of  Arctic  exploration.  It  might  be  a 
matter  of  doubt,  however,  whether  the  prospect 
of  his  loneliness  or  her  own  separation  from 
him  was  the  cause  of  her  tears. 

Daddy  AVaugli  was  so  proud  of  the  lad's 
achievements  that  he  forgot  his  own  infirmities 
in  giving  anxious  injunctions  as  to  the  health 
and  safety  of  the  young  life  on  which  he  leaned 
so  confidently.     lie  asked  over  and  over  again 


The  Captain's  Orders.  149 

his  wishes  in  regard  to  everything  about  the 
Hip-roof  House,  and  seemed  more  desirous  of 
comprehending  the  boy's  phms  than  of  ekici- 
dating  his  own — a  most  remarkable  thing  i)i 
Killis  Waugh,  and  to  be  accounted  for  only 
on  the  hypothesis  that  he  failed  to  distinguish 
between  Joe's  plans  and  his  own,  just  as  the 
boy  failed  to  find  any  distinction  between  his 
own  interest  and  that  of  the  household  of  which 
he  was  a  part. 

Besides  the  little  bundle  containing  his  ward- 
robe, Joe  took  with  him  some  well-filled  bags 
of  the  best  ^'eating  apples,"  as  he  called  them, 
meaning  those  already  ripe  and  mellow,  and 
also  a  small  bag  containing  samples  of  the  late- 
keeping  varieties,  of  which  there  was  still  a 
supply  remaining  on  hand  in  the  old  orchard. 

Everybody  in  the  region  had  heard  of  the 
ffood  fortune  which  had  attended  his  efforis 
to  lift  the  mortgage,  and  as  the  neighbor  who 
had  made  it  convenient  to  go  to  the  harbor  at 
that  particular  time,  drove  through  the  village, 
the  boy  was  the  recipient  of  many  congratula- 


150  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

tions  and  good  wishes.  As  is  alwavs  the  (.-ase, 
success  lay  at  the  root  of  this  appreciation  of 
liis  good  (piaHties.  He  might  have  done  and 
suffered  a  hundred  times  more  for  the  sake  of 
the  man  Avhose  kindness  he  was  striving  to  7'e- 
pay,  and  only  have  received  pitying  glances  of 
half-contemptuous  approval.  It  was  his  first 
lesson  in  the  great  truth  which  governs  human 
life  from  palace  to  hovel, — that  success  com- 
mands approbation  while  failure  elicits  con- 
tempt. But  the  world  was  to  him  still  all  sun- 
shine. He  only  wondered  vaguely,  as  they  rode 
toward  the  harbor,  why  it  was  that  he  had  ne\'er 
known  there  were  so  many  good  people  in  Cur- 
tinville  before.  It  warmed  his  heart,  and  made 
the  outlook  upon  life  xevy  sweet,  to  know  so 
many  were  interested  in  his  welfare.  He  had 
bidden  them  all  good-bye  until  some  time  in  the 
spring,  but  more  than  one  had  ventured  the 
cheering  prophecy  that  they  would  not  see  him 
again  until  he  was  running  his  own  boat. 

These  sanguine  prophets  were  not  only  con- 
founded, but  the  village  was  thrown  into  a  fever 


The  Captain's  Orders.  lol 

of  excitement  when,  on  tlie  third  <hiy  after- 
wards, dusty  and  travel-worn,  Joe  Thompson 
in  his  sailor's  rig,  without  any  bundle  or  parcel 
whatever,  sprang  from  the  west-bound  stage 
on  its  arrival,  and,  without  stopping  for  speech 
with  any  one,  made  his  way  at  once  to  Lawyer 
^^larvin's  office.  After  remaining  closeted  a 
short  time  with  the  new  arrival,  that  function- 
arv  appeared  in  what  the  onlookers  deemed  a 
state  of  unusual  excitement,  ordered  a  convey- 
ance from  Rogers's  livery  stable,  the  sign  of 
which  hung  beside  the  entrance  to  the  under- 
taker's shop,  in  which,  in  company  with  his 
wife  and  Joe,  the  village  magnate  had  driven 
off  in  the  direction  of  the  Hip-roof  House,  leav- 
ing the  ^illage  all  agog  with  speculation  as  to 
what  had  happened,  or  was  about  to  happen. 

The  truth  is  that  Lawyer  Marvin  was  as  much 
surprised  as  any  one,  when,  in  response  to  his 
"Come  in,"  Joe  entered,  cap  in  hand,  as  if  on 
duty  aboard  the  Queen. 

'•Why,  bless  my  soul,"  he  exclaimed,  with 
a  start,  "if  it  isn't  Joe!     Thought  you  were  in 


152  The  Hip-roof  House. 

Buffalo  before  tliisi  What  are  you  doing  Lere, 
young  man?" 

''Captain's  or(l(>rs,  sir/'  re^ilicd  Joe,  toucliing 
iiis  forelock,  and  lian-ling  a  letter  to  the  lawyer, 

"What  the  mischief  does  this  mean?"  asked 
the  attorney,  after  he  had  glanced  over  the  mis- 
sive, ''do  you  know  the  contents  of  this  letter?" 

"Xo,  sir," 

"Well,  Avell,  wonders  will  never  cease. 
AVhat  do  you  suppose  Captain  Moxom  has  writ- 
ten to  me  here?" 

"Do  n't  know,  sir.  He  told  me  to  deliver 
that  to  you  witliout  delay,  and  do  just  as  you 
should  direct." 

"Was  that  alH" 

"Every  word,  sir." 

"When  was  that?" 

"About  an  hour  before  the  stage  started  from 
Buffalo  night  before  last." 

''And  you  've  been  on  the  road  ever  since?" 

"Of  course." 

"Well,  you  must  be  tired." 


Thk  Captain's  Orders.  153 

"A  little." 

"Had  aiiv  dinner?" 

"Xo;  I  thouglit  I  M  get  that  after  I  'd  done 
my  errand." 

"You  did?  AVell,  you  were  right,  but  it  is  n't 
every  boy  who  would  liave  thought  so.  Sit 
down,  and  we  '11  see  what  can  be  done  for  you. 
Jane,"  he  called,  opening  the  side  door  of 
his  office,  which  adjoined  the  house  in  which  he 
lived. 

His  wife  came  in  response  to  the  summons, 
and  was  asked  with  serio-comic  gravity,  if  she 
had  anything  in  the  house  that  would  occupy  the 
attention  of  a  boy,  Avho  had  had  no  dinner  and 
ridden  all  night,  for  a  few  minutes,  while  her 
husband  did  some  writing.  The  reply  Avas 
speedy  and  abundant,  and  while  his  host  wrote, 
Joe  ate. 

"What  have  you  been  doing  to  Captain 
!Moxom,  anyhow?"  asked  the  lawyer,  curiously, 
as  he  paused  to  fold  a  paper,  sanding  it  care- 
fully and  bendino-  it  over  with  his  thumb. 


154  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"Done  to  him?     Nothing.     Why?" 

"Have  n't  bewitched  him,  or  anything  of 
the  sort?" 

"Captain  Moxom  is  n't  one  of  that  kind." 

"Ha,  lia!  Guess  yon  are  right  there.  Bnt 
what  have  you  done  to  please  liini  so  well?" 

"I  obey  orders,  sir." 

"You  do,  eh?  Where  are  you  going  when 
your  errand  here  is  completed?" 

"Wherever  you  say;  that 's  what  he  told 
me  to  do." 

"Suppose  I  send  you  to — Texas?" — a  region 
much  talked  of  at  that  time  as  the  resort  of 
those  Avhom  society  had  no  special  desire  to 
retain   any    nearer   the   centers   of   civilization. 

"Suppose  I  'd  have  to  go." 

"If  I  should  n't  give  you  anything  to  do, 
what  then?" 

"Go  back  to  the  Queen." 

"Yon  are  al)out  right.  You  obey  orders 
evidently,  and  I  expect  that 's  what 's  the  mat- 
ter with  'Old  Ironsides,'  as  we  used  to  call  him. 


The  Captain's  Orders.  155 

Never  knew  him  to  take  a  fancy  to  any  one 
before,  and  I  've  known  him  since  we  were  boys 
at  school  together.  Xo,  I  'm  wrong.  He  did 
have  a  sweetheart  once  that  he  ^^cemed  to  tliink 
the  world  of;  but  she  jilted  liim  because  she 
could  n't  find  any  place  to  get  hold  on,  I  guess. 
At  least,  nothing  ever  came  of  it,  and  I  've 
always  thought  that  was  the  reason  he  remained 
a  bachelor.  This  is  extraordinary,  though, — 
extraordinary." 

The  lawyer  meditated  a  moment,  then  went 
on  with  his  writing.  Joe  watched  him,  resum- 
ing his  repast,  which  had  been  interrupted  by 
the  attorney's  questions.  The  boy  had  been 
wondering,  during  all  the  long  journey  in  the 
stage,  what  the  purport  of  his  errand  might  be, 
and  the  surprise  manifested  by  the  lawyer  gave 
still  keener  edge  to  his  curiosity. 

After  a  time  the  lawyer  stopped  writing, 
read  over  what  he  had  written,  glanced  througli 
the  letter  he  had  received,  wrinkled  his  fore- 
head,   drew    down    his    eyebrows,    and    looked 


156  The  Hip-roof  House. 

under  them  at  Joe  in  a  way  so  puzzled  and  in- 
credulous that  the  boy  could  not  hell?  asking: 

''What  is  it,  sir?" 

''You  say  you  know  nothing  at  all  about  the 
contents  of  this  letter?" 

"Not  a  word,  sir," 

"Have  you  ever  done  any  thing  especial  for 
Captain  Moxom — I  mean,  any  special  favor?" 

"Done  the  Captain  any  favor?  Xo,  indeed; 
all  the  favor  has  been  on  his  side,"  answered 
Joe,  flushing  with  enthusiasm  for  his  hero's 
goodness.  "Do  you  know,  he  offered  me  a 
steady  job  all  winter  at  man's  wages  just  to  stay 
on  the  Queen  and  do  nothing,  only  help  watch 
her  and  go  to  school?" 

"Indeed!"  said  the  lawyer,  with  an  anuised 
smile,  "that  was  liberal.  He  didn't  offer  you 
a  fur  coat  and  mittens,  did  he?" 

"Xo,"  replied  Joe,  half  in  doubt  whether  to 
laugh  or  take  offense. 

"Xor  a  cutter  and  span  of  horses  for  your 
Saturdays?" 

"Xol"     answered     the    boy,     sharply,     "he 


The  Captain's  Orders.  157 

is  n't — "'  He  stopped  abruptly,  and  went  to 
the  window,  where  lie  stood  looking  straight 
before  him,  with  his  back  to  the  lawyer. 

!Mr.  Marvin  eyed  him  keenly. 

•'Well,   he  isn't— what?" 

"I^othing,  sir." 

"Xothing.  That  is  not  what  you  meant  to 
say." 

"iTo,  sir." 

''What  were  you  going  to  say,  then?" 

"Something  I  ought  not  to,  sir." 

"Why?" 

''The  captain  said  he  never  wanted  to  hear 
of  my  speaking  impudently  to  any  one  I  was 
sent  to  on  an  errand." 

'"Yes?  So  you  felt  like  being  impudent  to 
me,  did  you?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Why?" 

"I  did  not  think  you  ought  to  speak  in  the 
way  you  did  of  Captain  Moxom,  sir." 

"What  were  you  going  to  say  in  his  de- 
fense?" 


158  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"It  was  ii't  in  his  defense,  sir.  I  like  to  have 
told  you,  he  wasn't  a  fool;  but  you  know  that, 
and  only  said  what  you  did  to  tease  me." 

"You  seem  to  think  a  good  deal  of  the  cap- 
tain." 

"It  is  n't  any  seem,  sir,"  answered  the  lad, 
with  a  hint  of  tears  in  his  voice. 

"You  would  do  a  great  deal  for  him,  I  sup- 
pose?" 

"I  would  try  to  do  anything  he  asked  me  to?" 

"Yes?"  meditatively.     "Eight  or  wrong?" 

"He  would  n't  ask  me  to  do  anything 
wrong,"  answered  the  boy,  stoutly. 

"No?"  in  the  same  cool,  irritating  tone,  as 
if  he  were  badgering  a  witness.  "Well,  why 
not,  now?     Tell  me  why  not?" 

"Because,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  turning  on  him 
with  flaming  face,  "because  he  could  n't, — he 
just  could  7i't,  sir.  Captain  Moxom  could  n't 
be  mean  if  he  tried." 

"So?"  said  the  lawyer.  "Well,  I  have  no  dis- 
position to  take  issue  with  you.  Sit  down,  boy, 
sit    down.      I    did  n't    mean    to    say    anvthing 


The  Captain's  Orders.  159 

against  tlie  captain.  I  think  nearly  as  niucli  of 
him  as  you  do,  only  I  'ni  too  old  to  be  quite  so 
positive  about  it.  Xo  doubt  you  are  right— and 
I  do  n't  wonder  at  his  being  fond  of  you.  But, 
after  all, — after  all, — this  is  extraordinary." 

He  rose  and  paced  back  and  forth  across  his 
office,  as  if  he  had  forgotten  the  boy's  presence. 
Then  he  said  sharply: 

''See  here,  my  son,  tell  me  what  happened 
after  you  went  on  board  the  Queen  the  other 
day." 

"AVhat  happened?"  asked  the  puzzled  lad. 

''Yes;  between  you  and  Captain  Moxom." 

'•Xothing." 

"O,  yes,  there  did,  and  I  want  to  know  what 
it  was — just  for  my  own  satisfaction,  you  see. 
Xow  think, — where  did  you  see  him  first?" 

"Why,  when  the  Queen  was  coming  up  to 
the  wharf,"  answered  Joe,  in  an  animated  tone. 
"There  's  where  one  always  sees  the  captain, — 
if  they  know  where  to  look  for  him." 

''Well,"  questioned  the  lawyer,  not  to  be  di- 
verted by  any  side  issue,  "where  was  he?'' 


160  The  Hip-koof  HoUvSE. 

''Standing  by  the  guard,  right  in  front  of  the 
wheel-house,  as  he  always  is  when  we  eonie  into 
port." 

''Did  he  see  you  at  the  same  time?" 

"Of  course.    He  sees  everything." 

''O,  he  does?" 

''I  mean  about  the  boat  or  dock." 

"Did  he  recognize  you?" 

"To  be  sure  he  did." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"Because  he  waved  his  hand, — so — "  making 
a  slight  gesture — "when  I  saluted  him." 

"That  salute  is  a  new  thing  on  board  the 
Queen,   isn't  it?      One   of   Moxom's  notions?" 

"Xo,  sir,  it  was  just  an  accident-like.  You 
see,  that 's  the  way  the  boys  do  on  the  Michi- 
gan, the  war-ship  at  Erie,  when  their  officers 
come  'round.  I  saw  them  the  first  day  I  was  on 
the  Queen.  One  of  'cm  came  aboard  at  Erie, 
and  I  saw  him  do  it  when  he  spoke  to  Captain 
Moxom,  and  again  when  he  reported  to  the  offi- 
cer in  his  own  boat.  So  when  Captain  !Moxom 
put  me  on  duty,  going  errands  for  him  every- 


The  Captain's  Orders.  161 

where  on  board  or  ashore,  and  told  nie  he 
wanted  I  sliould  always  be  attentive  and  polite, 
I  supposed  that  was  what  he  meant.  I  did  n't 
know  much  about  politeness,  only  Daddy 
AVaugh  had  taught  me  never  to  speak  to  a  lady 
with  my  hat  on.  I  s'pose  it  must  be  old-fash- 
ioned,'cause  nobody  else  about  here  seems  to  take 
the  trouble  to  do  so,  and  the  boys  used  to  laugh 
at  me  for  it.  But  I  always  obeyed  him,  so  it 
came  easy  to  take  off  my  cap  and  salute  the 
captain  or  any  one  he  sent  me  to.  I  found  out 
afterwards  that  it  was  a  new  thing  on  the  lake 
boats,  but  the  captain  seemed  to  like  it  and  the 
men,  too,  so  that  after  a  while  I  got  quite  proud 
of  it.  Everybody  on  the  Queen  does  it  now, 
and  people  say  they  're  the  most  seamanlike 
crew  on  the  lakes?" 

"What  else,  then?" 

"^STothing,  sir;  I  just  hurried  aboard  with  my 

things,  and  reported  for  duty  as  soon  as  I  could 

change  my  clothes.      You  see  it  was  daylight 

then,    and    I    thought    that    he  'd    be    looking 

tor  me. 

11 


102  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"I  suppose  he  was  glad  to  see  yoiii"  said  the 
lawyer,  with  a  smile. 

''I  'in  sure  1  do  ii't  know,  sir.  lie  did  n't 
seem  very  glad." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"Just  asked  me  how  I  came  to  be  aboard  at 
that  time." 

"And  you  told  him — what?" 

"  'Cause  I  agreed  to.  lie  asked  why  I  did  n't 
wait  for  Mr.  Newlin;  and  I  told  him  'cause  I 
did  n't  have  any  leave  to.  Then  he  asked 
had  n't  Mr.  ]S"ewlin  told  me  I  could  stay,  and 
I  told  him  he  had.  Then  he  asked  why  I  did  n't 
stay;  and  I  said  I  didn't  know  as  Mr.  jSTewliu 
had  any  authority  to  say  I  could." 

"Well,  what  next?" 

"He  said  I  had  done  just  right;  and  he  was 
glad  of  it.  He  asked  what  I  had  on  my  old 
clothes  for  when  I  came  aboard.  You  see, 
they  were  the  ver}-  ones  I  wore  when  he  first 
saw  me.  So  I  told  him  I  thought  those  he  had 
given  ine  were  to  be  worn  when  I  was  working 
for  him,  and   I  did  n't  want  to  get  'cm  all  torn 


The  Captain's  Orders.  163 

and  soiled  by  wearing  tliem  'bout  liouie,  gather- 
ing apples  and  doing  sueli  work." 

''What  did  he  say  lo  tliatf' 

"Said  I  was  a  good  boy,  sir,  and  asked  me 
about  Daddy  AVaugh  and  'Cindy  and  all  our 
home  matters,  just  as  if  he  had  an  interest  in 
'em  himself," 

"You  don't  tell  mel"  excdaimed  the  lawyer, 
with  a  chuckle.  "That  was  a  strange  proceed- 
ing for  Dave  ^loxom,  wasn't  it?" 

"He  's  always  been  very  kind  to  me,  sir," 
replied  the  boy,  anxious  to  defend  his  friend 
from  ridicule.  "He  used  to  ask  me  about  mat- 
ters at  the  Hip-roof  House  when  I  first  went 
aboard.  You  see,  he  lived  there  a  while  him- 
self when  he  was  a  boy." 

"So  I  've  heard." 

"He  knew  we  'd  been  in  trouble,  too,  and  I 
suppose  he  was  interested  to  learn  how  we  were 
getting  along." 

"You  told  him?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  told  him  the  orchard  had  done 
so  well  I  thought  we  'd  be  pretty  near  able  to 


164  The  Hit-roof  House. 

pay  off  the  mortgage,  perhaps  quite,  with  what 
I  hoped  to  earn  during  the  winter." 

"I  guess  that  surprised  him?" 

''It  did  seem  to,  sir." 

''jSTo  wonder.  Everybody  says  it 's  nothing 
less  than  a  iiiirat'le  for  an  old  orchard  like  that 
to  start  np  all  at  once  and  yield  such  a  crop  of 
frnit, — and  of  such  quality,  too." 

"That's  what  the  captain  said;  but  I  told 
him  if  it  was  a  miracle,  it  was  one  of  the  com- 
mon, every-day  sort,  or  else  it  would  n't  have 
happened  to  Daddy  AVaugh,  or  come  about 
through  anything  he  did,  being  so  old  and 
weak." 

"Daddy  AVaugh?  What  did  he  have  to  do 
with  the  size  of  the  apple-crop?" 

"Everything  except  make  the  trees  grow," 
said  Joe,  earnestly,  "and  he  came  pretty  near 
doing  that,  for  he  planted  'em." 

"But  that  did  n't  make  them  bear  this  par- 
ticular year." 

"Xo;  Daddy  AVaugh  says  that's  the  Lord's 
doings,  and  I  suppose  it  is;  but,  all  the  same,  it 


The  Captain's  Orders.  165 

was  because  of  Daddy  A\'aiii>li  that  lie  came  to 
do  it." 

"What  did  the  captain  say  to  that?" 

''Said  I  'd  have  to  exphiin  that  riddle.  He 
knew  Daddy  Wangli  was  a  good  man,  but  he 
did  n't  believe  any  one  was  good  enough  these 
days  to  have  miracles  worked  for  their  special 
benefit." 

''Did  you  explain  it?" 

"Certainly.  You  see  it  was  n't  any  miracle 
at  all,  but  just  in  the  course  of  nature,  only  it 
happened  to  come  at  the  right  time.  Some  four 
or  five  years  ago,  just  the  fall  before  we  sold 
the  oxen,  a  man  came  along,  'way  after  dark,  and 
wanted  to  stay  all  night.  You  know  Daddy 
AVaugli  would  n't  refuse  anybody  a  meal  or  a 
night's  lodging  if  he  had  n'f  more  'n  a  crust 
for  himself." 

"I  do  n't  believe  he  would,"  said  the  lawyer, 
lieartily. 

''Well,  tlic  man  staid  that  night,  and  the 
next  day  ho  was  taken  sick,  and  it  was  about 
a  month  lioforc  he  got  around  again.     AVe  took 


I(i6  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

care  (.if  him  the  host  avc  could.  Folks  told 
Daddy  Waugh  he  ought  to  turn  hiui  over  to 
the  county — it  Avas  just  after  Daddy's  stroke, 
you  know,  and  everybody  used  to  come  in  and 
see  him;  it  had  n't  got  to  be  an  old  story  then, — 
but  he  would  n't  hear  to  it.  Said  there  had  n't 
anybody  ever  gone  out  of  the  Ilip-roof  House 
to  the  poorhouse  yet,  and  if  there  ever  did,  the 
first  ■  one  to  go  would  be  Killis  Waugh.  He 
had  n't  got  uiuch,  he  said,  but  he  'd  got  enough 
to  feed  a  sick  nuin  so  long  as  his  appetite  was 
so  poor  he  couldn't  eat  much  anyhow;  and  he 
was  going  to  do  it." 

''Just  like  him,"  laughed  the  lawyer.  "And 
that 's  wduit  has  kept  him  poor." 

"It 's  what 's  helped  him  when  he  needed  it 
most,  too,"  said  Joe.  "That 's  what  I  told  the 
captain.  I  told  him  that  Daddy  AVaugh  had 
proved  it  paid  to  be  good  to  other  folks  as  well 
as  to  one's  self,  too." 

"How  did  he  take  that  little  lesson  in 
morals?" 

"Laughed,  and  said  it  might  be  so;  but  he 


The  Captain's  Orders.  167 

didn't  see  as  the  old  man  had  enongh  to  show 

for  his  goodness  to  make  the  wicdved  very  en- 

vions." 

The  hiwyer  broke  into  a  hearty  laugh  at  this; 

said  he  should  think  not,  and  asked  Joe  to  go 

on  with  his  story. 

''Well,  I  told  him  it  had  brought  him  the 

apples  and  the  orchard  and  the  Hip-roof  House 

and  'Cindy  and  me,   anyhow." 

"1  understand  that  last — and  a  boy  and  a 

girl  like  you  and  'Cindy  are  no  meau  fortune — - 
but  I  still  fail  to  see  how  his  kindness  resulted 
directly  in  this  miraculous  apple-crop." 

''O  yes,"  said  the  boy,  apologetically,  "tell- 
ing you  all  about  the  captain,  I  forgot  about 
that.  Well,  you  see  the  man — he  was  an  Eng- 
lishman— when  he  got  well  was  naturally  very 
grateful  to  Daddv  AVaugh.  lie  was  a  real  nice 
man — not  what  you  would  call  young — but  so 
young-looking,  you  'd  never  think  he  had  a  boy 
of  my  age,  as  he  said  he  had,  back  in  England. 
It  was  apple-time  when  he  got  about,  and  he 
used  to  sit  and  help  a  little  when  he  could,  in 


168  The  Hip-roof  House. 

gathering  them.  He  told  us  all  about  his  folks, 
aiul  how  he  came  over  here  to  Letter  his  con- 
dition, but  everything  had  gone  against  him. 
You  see  he  did  not  find  things  as  he  expected  to, 
and  did  n't  seem  to  be  able  to  fit  himself  to  them 
as  they  Avere.  That 's  what  Daddy  ^augli  said 
was  the  matter  with  him." 

*' There  are  a  good  many  people  who  have 
just  that  difficulty  all  their  lives,"  said  the  law- 
yer, dryly. 

'T  suppose  so,"  assented  the  boy,  composedly; 
''but  this  man  was  a  sort  of  nurseryman  or  gar- 
dener for  some  nobleman  in  the  'old  country,'  as 
he  called  it,  and,  having  had  some  quarrel  with 
his  master,  thought  he  'd  come  to  America  and 
be  his  own  man.  He  had  tried  hard  enough 
and  in  ways  enough,  I'm  sure;  but  with  what 
he  had  to  send  home  for  his  family,  he  had 
nothing  left  for  himself,  and  no  prospect  of 
getting  anything.  So  he  had  started  AVest,  and 
thought  he  would  take  up  some  land,  and  see 
if  he  could  n't  have  better  luck. 

"He   knew   all   about   fruits   and   fruit-trses. 


Thk  Captain's  Orders.  169 

seeing  that  was  his  business,  and  he  used  to  sit 
and  talk  with  Daddy  AVaugh  about  planting 
and  grafting  and  pruning,  until  I  thought  they 
would  n't  ever  think  of  anything  else.  Daddy 
AVaugh  explained  to  him  all  the  different  kinds 
of  apples  in  the  orchard.  A  good  many  of  them, 
the  man  said,  were  seedlings  that  had  never 
been  heard  of  across  the  water,  and  others,  he 
thought,  were  entirely  new,  even  in  this  country. 
He  said  if  he  had  scions  enough,  he  was  sure 
he  could  make  a  good  living  grafting  other 
orchards,  the  fruit  of  which  was  n't  so  good  as 
this.  He  said  that 's  the  way  they  were  doing 
all  through  the  East,  but  it  had  n't  got  out  this 
way  yet. 

"Then  Daddy  AVaugh  told  him  that  all  the 
orchards  in  the  State,  so  far  as  he  knew,  were 
grown  from  seeds,  and  people  had  n't  taken 
the  pains  to  select  those  that  bore  good  fruit, 
as  he  had  done.  That 's  why  the  Hip-roof 
orchard  was  so  notable.  So,  if  he  could  make 
people  believe  his  grafts  would  bear  the  same 
kind   of   fruit    as   Killis   AVaugh's   trees,    there 


170  Tjii':  IIip-Kooi"  HousK. 

would  n't  be  aiiv  doubt  'bout  Ids  g'ctting  a 
tdiance  to  graft  pretty  luueli  every  orcdiard  in 
this  region,  'eause  his  trees  were  known  all  along 
the  lake-shore  from  Black  Rocdv  to  Toledo. 

"The  Englishman  told  Daddy  that  if  the 
old  trees  were  Svorkcd/  as  he  called  trinnning, 
and  scraped,  and  the  ground  plowed  and  dug 
around  the  roots  some,  and  a  few  of  the  poorest 
kinds  grafted  from  the  best,  it  would  be  just  as 
good  as  new,  and  better  too,  for  a  little  while. 
Daddy  said  he  'd  heard  about  grafting,  but 
never  heard  of  making  old  trees  over  into  new 
ones;  but  it  looked  reasonable, and  if  he  had  been 
as  able  as  he  was  once,  he  'd  try  it.  Fruit  was 
getting  to  be  worth  something,  and  the  orchard, 
always  a  great  bearer,  was  rarely  ever  hurt  by 
the  frost.  The  man  explained  that  working- 
it  would  probably  change  the  bearing  year — 
which  would  have  been  last  year,  you  know — 
and  the  first  year  or  two  of  growth  would  prob- 
ably go  to  wood,  so  't  there  would  n't  be  many 
apples;  but  when  it  did  bear,  it  would  snrpi-ise 
the  comitrv. 


The  Captain's  Orders.  171 

'*AikI  sure  ciiougli  'twas  all  so;  for  the  up- 
hliot  of  it  was,  the  man  SvorkeJ'  the  orchard 
just  to  his  own  notion.  Everybody  said  he  'd 
kill  it,  and  it  did  look  so.  You  ought  to  have 
seen  the  brush  I  dragged  out  and  piled  up  that 
fall  and  winter.  It  made  a  heap  as  big  as  the 
]jam — every  bit.  We  couldn't  burn  it  until 
it  was  dry,  and  it  covered  the  whole  hillside 
below^  the  spring  all  the  next  summer.  The 
neighbors  said  Daddy  AVaugh  wasn't  content 
to  plant  an  orchard,  but  had  to  go  and  bury  it, 
too.     It  did  look  like  a  funeral  that  year. 

"Then  we  plowed  it,  and  scraped  the  trees, 
and  washed  'em  all  over  with  soap,  and  put  a 
lot  of  ashes  around  the  roots.  In  fact,  we 
worked  at  'em  all  the  fall,  and  again  in  the 
spring.  Then  Daddy  gave  the  Englishman 
plenty  of  scions,  and  he  got  work  out  West, 
bought  a  place  there,  and  came  back  the  next 
year  for  cuttings  that  had  grown  the  year  be- 
fore. So  the  old  orcdiard  got  worked  twice,  and 
this  year  was  its  first  crop.  Xow,  you  see,  if 
Daddy  AVaugh  had  n't  been  good  to  that  man. 


172  Thk  Hip-roof  Housk. 

the  oivliard  would  iTt  have  been  workcc],  and 
the  trees  would  n't  have  borne  the  apples,  and 
we  could  n't  ha\'e  paid  the  money  on  the  mort- 
gage." 

"Yes,  I  do  sec,"  said  the  lawyer;  "and  if  he 
had  n't  taken  care  of  Joe  and  'Cindy  when  they 
were  little,  they  could  n't  have  helped  him 
now." 

"Of  course,"  assented  Joe. 


Chapter  XII, 

APPLES  AND  KISSES. 


..WELL,"  ™ 


msod  the  lawyer,  as  apparently 
unconscious  as  if  lie  were  drawing  out 
a  witness  to  tell  liis  story  in  his  own  way,  for 
the  entertainment  of  judge  and  jury,  ^'I  sup- 
pose after  you  had  told  him  that,  the  captain  was 
anxious  to  see  the  apples  you  had  brought  him?" 
"That 's  just  what  he  was,  sir,"  said  Joe, 
gleefully;  "and  it  almost  made  me  cry  to  see 
how  nuich  he  did  enjoy  them.  I  ain't  sure  hut 
I  did  cry  a  little,"  he  added,  wiping  swiftly 
away  a  briny  reminiscence  of  the  occasion, 
"You  see,  he  sent  for  them  to  be  brouglit  up 
to  his  cabin- — there  were  ten  bags  of  'em,  and 
about  two  bushels  or  two  and  a  half,  in  each 
bag.  The  bags  were  n't  very  new,  but  they 
were  clean,  and  'Cindy  and  Daddy  Waugli  had 
fixed  them  up  good  and  strong.  It  would 
have   made   you   laugh    to   see   the   passengers 

173 


174  Thk  Hii'-Rooi'  HousK. 

^tare  when  four  of  the  Lands,  every  one 
^vitll  an  old,  patched  tow-bag  on  his  shoulder, 
marched  up  the  brass  steps  of  the  gang- 
way, through  the  saloon,  and  into  the  captain's 
(•al)in.  Of  course,  I  had  to  go  down  to  show 
'em  what  to  bring,  and  Tom  was  so  full  of  curi- 
osity that  he  followed  me  up,  asking  questions, 
and  closed  the  procession  with  his  white  apron. 
Then  the  hands  went  back  and  l)rought  up  the 
rest.  I  did  n't  think  a  word  about  it  until  I 
heard  some  of  the  passengers  wondering  what  it 
meant,  and  I  thought  I  should  have  to  laugh  or 
die.  I  held  in,  though,  until  the  hands  got  the 
apples  in  the  cabin  and  went  out,  and  then  1 
laughed;  and  when  I  told  the  captain,  he 
laughed,  too.  It  was  awful  funny — that  big 
pWe  of  bags  in  the  middle  of  the  captain's  nice 
cabin! 

"We  opened  the  bags,  and  I  showed  him  the 
different  kinds,  and  told  him  how  Daddy  AVaugli 
had  picked  'em  out  of  ever  so  many  bushels, 
having  them  put  on  the  table  before  him,  and 
looking  'em  over  one  by  one,  so  's  to  be  sure 


Applks  and  Kissks.  17") 

aud  get  the  very  best;  and  how  he  Vl  put  a  hjt 
of  hay  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon,  so  that  they 
would  n't  get  bruised  or  specked  bringing  'em 
to  the  harbor,  no  matter  how  nieHow  they  might 
be.  It  did  seem  as  if  the  captain  enjoyed  'em 
enough  to  pay  for  all  the  trouble,  and  more  too. 
Xot  that  it  seemed  any  trouble,  because  he  's 
been  so  kind  and  good  that  there  would  n't  any- 
thing seem  trouble  that  we  could  do  for  him. 
After  he  had  asked  all  sorts  of  questions  about 
the  different  varieties,  and  examined  and  praised 
them  until  I  felt  reddiot  all  over,  he  sent  for 
the  steward,  and  told  him  to  have  them  taken 
out  and  pile  them  all  up  on  the  tables  before  he 
set  'em  for  dinner.  He  said  there  was  a  big 
load  of  passengers  on,  and  he  w^as  going  to  give 
them  a  chance  to  see  something  they  would  n't 
forget  that  year,  anyhow.  The  steward  and  the 
boys  took  and  wiped  the  apples  all  off  bright 
and  clean,  and  piled  them  in  the  middle  of  the 
tables  in  great  big  heaps,  with  little  pyramids 
along  the  sides  of  the  })lates.  By  the  captain's 
place  the  pile  was  so  high,  that  when  anybody 


176  The  Hip-koof  House. 

sat  in  liis  chair  those  at  the  table  could  hardly 
see  his  head  over  the  top.  They  were  red  and 
yellow  and  green  and  white;  russets  and  greasy- 
skins  and  red-cheeks  and  gold-flesh.  There  were 
twenty  of  the  best  sorts  and  the  best  of  every  • 
kind.  I  tell  you  they  did  look  nice,  just  as  if 
the  Queen  had  sailed  through  an  orchard,  and 
all  the  apples  had  been  shaken  off  on  the 
tables!" 

"^o  doubt — no  doubt,"  said  the  lawyer, 
amused  at  the  boy's  enthusiasm.  "I  wish  I 
had  been  there  to  see." 

''That 's  queer,  now,"  said  Joe;  "but  when 
he  was  looking  at  the  taldes,  just  before  the 
gong  sounded  for  dinner,  Captain  Moxom  said, 
'By  George,  I  wish  ]\Iarvin  was  here!'  " 

"You  don't  say?  What  the  mischief  did 
he  want  of  me?" 

"Don'.t  know,   sir." 

"Nor  I,  either."  The  lawyer  was  evidently 
perplexed.  "Guess  he  must  have  been  thinking 
of  this  matter."  He  nodded  at  the  papers  on 
his  table,  as  if  they  were  somehow  responsible 


Apples  and  Kisses.  1'7 

for  liis  perplexity.  "Well,  you  had  a  nice  din- 
ner, did  n't  yoii^"      * 

"Yes — tliat  is — I  suppose  so,"  replied  Joe, 
hesitantly. 

''Suppose  so?     Don't  you  know?" 

"Yes— but— " 

"But  what?" 

"Why,  you  see  the  captain  told  me  to  stay 
in  his  cabin  during  dinner,  unless  he  sent  for 
me,  which,  of  course,  I  did,  and  presently  I 
heard  more  noise  down  in  the  saloon — that 's 
where  they  eat,  you  know — than  I  ever  heard 
before;  but  I  couldn't  make  out  what  it  was. 
First  I  knew  here  came  Tom — that 's  one  of  the 
colored  waiters,  a  great  friend  of  mine — rush- 
ing up  the  cabin  stairs  three  or  four  steps  at  a 
time,  hollerin'  for  me,  his  apron  twisted  clean 
around  behind,  and  looking  as  if  he  was  crazy. 

"'Joe,  Joe!'  he  called.  'Come  quick, — the 
captain  wants  youl' 

"With  that  he  grabbed  me  up,  and  clapped 
me  on  his  shoulder  before  I  knew  what  he  was 
doing,  and  rushed  back  down  into  the  saloon, 

12 


178  The  Hip-roof  House. 

where  the  passengers  were  eating  their  dinner. 
When  we  got  there  I  looked  around,  and  every- 
body was  standing  np,  and  the  captain — he  sits 
at  the  liead  of  the  middle  table,  you  know — 
was  standing  up,  too,  all  dressed  in  white  duck, 
w'itli  an  anchor  worked  on  the  corner  of  his 
collar.  He  motioned  Tom  to  put  me  down  by 
liini.  Then  he  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  told 
me  to  get  up  in  a  chair. 

"  'Do  n't  be  afraid!'  he  whispered;  and  I  told 
him  I  was  n't.  Then  he  turned  towards  the 
tables,  and  said: 

"  'Ladies  and  gentlemen,  this  is  Joe!' 

"Then  the  gentlemen  gave  three  cheers,  and 
the  ladies  waved  their  handkei'chiefs,  and  the 
captain  said,  'Make  a  bow,  Joe!'  and  I  bowed 
to  each  one  of  the  tables,  and  he  said,  'The 
ladies  and  gentlemen  have  bought  your  apples, 
Joe.     Go  and  thank  them.' 

"Then  they  passed  mc  around  down  one  side 
of  each  table  and  up  the  other.  The  gentlemen 
shook  hands  with  me,  and  talked  mighty  nice, 
asking  all  about  Daddy  AVaugh,  and  the  ladies 


Apples  and  Kisses.  179 

asked  nie  about  'Ciudy,  and  some  of  them 
wanted  to  kiss  me  I" 

''Gad,  I  do  n't  hlame  them,"  said  the  hiwyer, 
jumping  up  and  blowing  his  nose  with  peculiar 
energy. 

"Xor  I,  either,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Marvin, 
throwing  open  the  door  to  the  living-room, 
which  she  had  left  ajar,  and,  running  across  to 
Joe,  made  her  words  good  by  kissing  him  half 
a  dozen  times. 

"Well,  mother,"  said  lawyer  Marvin,  rub- 
bing his  eyes  and  laughing,  "as  you  have  n't 
any  boy  of  your  own,  I  do  n't  know  as  I  blame 
you.  I  believe  I  should  have  kissed  Joe  my- 
self, if  you  had  n't  happened  around  just  in 
time.  I  see  what  'Old  Ironsides'  wanted  of  a 
lawyer  now.  Thought  he  'd  get  me  to  make 
his  speech  for  him.  The  rascal!  And  if  I'd 
been  there,  just  as  like  as  not  I  'd  Lave  done  it, 
and  no  doubt  made  a  mess  of  the  whole  thing. 
So  he  sold  the  apples,  did  he  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  l)oy,  the  tears  stand- 
ing in  his  eyes,  "he  sold  those  very  apples  I  'd 


180  The  Hip-roof  House. 

brought  him,  to  the  passengers  at  a  cent  apiece! 
Only  think  of  it,  Mr.  ]\larviu — and  gave  all  the 
money  to  me." 

"That  was  a  wholesale  piece  of  business, 
wasn't  it?" 

"Yes,  sir;  and  some  of  them  wonld  n't  take 
any  change;  so  I  've  got  fifty  dollars  more  to 
pay  on  the  mortgage." 

"Bnt  had  n't  you  better  keep  some  of  this  for 
yourself,  and  let  the  rest  of  the  mortgage  stand 
a  wliile?"  asked  the  lawyer,  with  a  queer  twinkle 
in  his  eyes. 

"I  do  n't  want  anything,  and  have  n't  any 
use  for  money  until  after  that  mortgage  is  paid 
off,  and  Daddy  Waugh  a  free  man,  ^Ir.  Mar- 
vin," said  Joe,  decidedly.  "I  can't  bear  to  think 
of  him  feeling  all  the  time  as  if  he  Avas  just 
eliained  down  by  it,  and  if  he  should  die  before 
it  was  paid,  I  do  n't  think  I  should  ever  get  over 
it.  It  does  n't  seem  as  if  he  'd  ever  enjoy  him- 
self in  heaven  if  it  was  n't  paid  off  before  he 
died." 

"I  'm    not    sure    he    would,"    said    ^larvin, 


Apples  and  Kisses.  181 

eheerfiilly.  "Mother,"  addressing  liis  wife, 
"supposing  you  get  your  things  on,  and  we  '11 
drive  as  far  as  the  Hip-roof,  and  see  al)ont  some 
of  these  matters.  Perhaps  Joe  will  let  you  liave 
a  basket  of  apples  to  pay  for  those  kisses  you 
gave  him." 

"O,  they  're  paid  for  already,"  said  the 
comely  matron,  smiling. 

"AVell,  then,  perhaps  you  can  get  a  peck  or 
so  for  some  that  are  not  paid  for."  The  lawyer 
put  his  arm  around  his  wife's  ample  waist,  and 
drew  her  fondly  towards  him.  "How  would 
that  suit  you,  Joe?" 

•  "Just  as  you  say,  sir,"  was  the  saucy  reply. 
"I  'm  under  your  orders,  you  know." 


Chapter  XIIL 

AN   INDENTURE. 

THE  surprise  of  tlie  denizens  of  the  Hip-roof 
House  at  Joe's  return  was  only  equaled  by 
their  curiosity.  The  presence  of  the  lawyer  and 
his  wife  restrained  their  comments;  but,  despite 
this,  Joe  was  subjected  to  a  tire  of  questions, 
to  which  he  could  return  no  satisfactory  an- 
swers. He  said  he  had  gone  on  board  the  (^ueen, 
made  the  passage  to  Buffalo,  and  started  back 
the  next  night,  with  what  might  be  termed 
sealed  orders  to  Mr.  ]Marvin. 

''You  say  you  do  n't  know  what  the  captain 
sent  you  back  for?"  queried  Killis  AVaugh,  peer- 
ing through  his  glasses  in  evident  perplexity. 

"Do  n't  know  nothing  about  it,"  answered 
Joe.     "Just  obeyed  orders." 

"Ye  didn't  have  no  troul)lc  with  hiiu,  I 
]h)\)cC'  anxiously. 

"JS^ot  a  word." 
182 


An  Indenture.  183 

'"I  'ill  glad  o'  that.  IIow  long  Le  you  goin' 
to  stay?" 

*'Have  to  ask  Mr.  ^Marvin.  I  'm  luider  liim 
now." 

"V^^e]\,  Avell,  well,"  said  the  old  man.  ^^'That 
Davv  Moxom  does  beat  all.  lie  always  was  an 
odd  chicken,  but  this 's  a  little  the  queerest 
thing  he  's  ever  done.  After  all,  there  ain't 
many  better  men  in  the  world  than  he.  You 
won't  ever  get  very  far  wrong,  my  son,  as  long- 
as  you  do  what  he  tells  you." 

"You  may  well  say  that,  Mr.  AVaugh,"  as- 
sented Mr.  Marvin.  "Joe  brought  me  a  letter 
from  Captain  Moxom,  in  which  he  has  charged 
me  with  a  pleasant  duty.  It  may  require  the 
presence  of  witnesses,  and  I  would  be  obliged 
if  you  would  have  the  men  who  are  at  work  in 
the  orchard  called  for  that  purpose." 

Her  heart  dimly  presaging  evil  from  these 
words,  'Cindy  went  to  summon  AVollman  and 
the  other  neighbor.  When  the  little  family 
were  mustered  and  seated  with  curious  expec- 


ia4  The  Hip-roof  House. 

tancy,  Mr.  IMarvin,  taking  a  bundle  of  papers 
from  his  pocket,  said: 

"I  am  authorized  by  Captain  David  Moxom 
to  offer  the  sum  of  ten  doHars  a  month  and 
board  for  the  services  of  Josei)h  Thoiiqjson 
during  the  next  five  years,  the  said  Joseph 
Thompson  to  be  at  all  times  subject  to  the  orders 
of  Captain  Moxom,  provided  such  arrangement 
be  agreeable  to  INIr.  Waugh.  What  do  you 
say  to  that  offer,  Joe?" 

"I  want  to  stay  with  the  captain  till  I  have 
a  boat  of  my  own,"  said  Joe,  stoutly. 

'T  'm  bound  he  '11  have  it,  too,"  chuckled 
Wellman,  approvingly. 

"And  what  do  you  say,  Mr.  Waugh?" 

"Is  it  year  in  and  year  out?"  asked  the  old 
man,  with  plaintive  earnestness. 

"Twelve  months  in  a  year,"  answered  the 
lawyer.  "Captain  Moxom  requires  the  boy  to 
be  regularly  indentured  to  him  until  he  is 
twenty-one.     That  will  be  five  years,  I  think?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Joe,  "five  years  and 
'most  a  half." 


An  Indenture.  185 

''O,  I  can't  have  Joey  gone  all  the  time," 
said  Daddy  Waiigh,  petidantly.  "He  's  been 
away  all  siunnier — for  the  week  he  's  been  home 
do  n't  seem  a  day  scarcely — an'  now  to  have  him 
go  off  for  five  years, — it  do  n't  seem  as  if  I  could 
stand  it,  nohow.  It  do  n't,  ^Ir.  ^Marvin. 
'T  ain't  likely  I  '11  be  here  as  long  as  that." 

"It  is  hard,  Daddy  Wangh,"  condoled  Well- 
man;  "but  you  must  think  of  the  boy.  It  '11  be 
the  making  of  him,  most  likely." 

"Yes,  I  'm  thinkin'  of  him,  an'  I  know  it 's 
a  great  chance — a  great  chance.  It 's  a  man's 
wages  almost  to  start  with,  and  nobody  knows 
how  much  favor  afterwards.  I  realize  that,  an' 
he  ain't  nothin'  but  a  boy!  That's  what  you 
mean,  neighbor,  and  that 's  what  everybody  'Jl 
say  if  he  do  n't  go.  But  that 's  just  where  the 
rub  comes — because  he  is  a  boy  yet.  Davy 
Moxom's  a  good  man,  and  would  n't  mean  him 
to  git  no  harm;  but  it 's  takin'  him  away  from 
home,  away  from  me,  and  it 's  all  I  've  got  left, 
him  and  'Cindy.  I  can't  bear  to  think  o'  sep- 
eratin'    'em;    they've    always    been    just    like 


186  The  Hip-roof  House. 

brother  an'  sister.  Do  you  think  you  could 
stand  it,  'Cindy?  There,  there,  don't  cry, 
child,  dou't!" 

The  girl  wiped  her  eyes  with  her  apron,  but 
her  voice  was  choked  with  sobs  as  she  answered 
bravely: 

"1 — I — s'pose  we  must — must  think  of  Joe, 
grandpa." 

''Of  course,"  assented  the  old  man  in  a  pet- 
ulent  voice;  "but  who  knows  it's  best  for  him 
to  go  'way  from  home  five  years  on  a  stretch 
at  his  time  of  life?" 

"I  do  n't  s'pose  the  cap'n  would  want  him  the 
whole  time  right  along  on  a  stretch,"  suggested 
Wellman. 

"P'raps  not — p'raps  not,"  said  Daddy 
Waugh,  eagerly.  "Do  you  s'pose  he  'd  let  him 
come  home  now  and  then  for  a  spell,  Mr. 
Mar\dn?" 

"I  'm  not  authorized  to  make  any  such  con- 
ditions; but  I  think  you  can  safely  rely  upon 
Captain  Moxom's  good  sense  and  good  inten- 
tions," answered  the  lawyer. 


An  Indenture.  187 

The  old  man  sighed. 

"More  'n  likely  he  did  n't  think  on  't.  Folks 
do  n't  know  how  lonesome  old  people  git 
towards  the  last.  There  's  so  little  left  'em, 
you  know,  they  hang  on  to  it  desperately.  I 
s'pose  I  '11  have  to  consent  for  the  boy's  sake. 
I  do  n't  know  as  I  'm  doin'  right,  though.  He 
ought  to  be  at  school  now.  These  five  years 
that 's  comin'  should  be  the  cream  of  his  life. 
It  isn't  as  if  his  father  was  alive.  Perhaps  I 
ought  not  to  let  him  go,  after  all?" 

"O,  do,  Daddy  Waugh,  do!"  entreated  the 
boy.  "You  know  I  could  n't  go  to  school  if  I 
staid  to  home;  and  so  long  as  I  've  got  to  work, 
I  'd  rather  be  with  the  captain  than  anywhere 
else." 

"There  's  some  sense  in  that,  too.  Perhaps 
I  am  selfish,  though  I  do  n't  mean  to  be.  Yes, 
I  consent — though  I  don't  think  I  ought  to, 
nohow.  If  it  was  my  own  kin,  I  'd  feel  different 
about  it — not  so  distrustful  like,  you  know." 
"Well,"  said  the  lawyer,  "since  that  is  set- 
tled, we  may  as  well  have  these  articles  signed, 


188  Thjv  Hip-koof  House. 

binding  Joe  to  the  captain  until  lie  comes  of 
age." 

It  was  clone,  Daddy  "Wangli  signing  as  guar- 
dian. To  'Cindy  the  loss  of  so  many  years  at 
school  seemed  irreparal)le,  and  she  wept  silently 
while  the  paj^ers  were  being  signed.  The  men 
congratulated  the  boy,  and  Mrs.  Marvin  tried  to 
console  the  girl,  who  sorrowed  at  her  playmate's 
good  fortune  because  she  knew  that  without 
education  he  would  not  make  the  man  she  had 
hoped  he  would  become. 

''And  now,"  continued  Marvin,  "I  have  also 
to  inform  you  that  Captain  Moxom  writes  me  to 
say  that  he  has  sold  two  hundred  bushels  of 
apples  from  the  Hip-roof  orchard,  at  a  dollar 
a  bushel,  to  be  delivered  on  board  the  Queen 
within  ten  days." 

"Why,  that'll  pay  the  mortgage  clean  off!" 
exclaimed  TCillis  Waugh,  witli  eagerness. 

"So  it  will,  if  you  've  got  the  apples." 

"There  's  no  doubt  on  that  score,"  said  Well- 
man.  "There  '11  be  as  many  as  that  and  more, 
of  the  very  first  quality." 


An  Indenture.  189 

^'Tlicn  I  'II  pay  the  money,  \vliieli  lie  sent 
for  the  purpose,  trusting  there  will  be  no  delay 
in  the  delivery  of  the  apples." 

"O,  there  won't  be  any  delay,"  said  Joe, 
eagerly.     "I  '11  attend  to  'em,  myself." 

''You  forget  you  are  articled  to  Captain 
Moxom,  and  must  obey  his  orders  hereafter," 
said  the  lawyer,  counting  out  the  money.  The 
old  man  watched  him  with  anxious  eyes,  his 
fingers  working  nervously. 

"xVlia!"  laughed  Barnes,  "ain't  so  much  fun 
bein'  a  sailor,  is  it?  I  b'lieve  I  've  got  a  chance 
to  pay  you  back  for  that  mule  joke.  Been 
havin'  a  grudge  against  you  ever  since." 

"I  did  forget,"  admitted  Joe,  cheerfully. 
"But  it  do  n't  make  any  difference.  If  I  can't 
do  it,  Mr.  Barnes  and  ]\Ir.  A\'ellman  '11  see  it 's 
done  just  as  well,  and  probably  better,  too,  than 
I  could." 

"That 's  so,"  said  Barnes,  getting  up  and 
taking  the  boy's  hand  in  a  hearty  grip. 
"You  've  got  a  good  chance,  Joe,  and  every- 
body '11  expect  VdU  to  make  good  use  of  it.     I 


190  Thk  Hip-roof  House. 

do  n't  know  of  anybody  in  the  neigliborhood 
that  would  n't  do  any  sort  of  little  turn  that 
comes  in  their  way  to  help  ye.  You  jest  go 
'long,  and  Lank  an'  I  '11  'tend  to  the  apples  all 
right.     Ain't  that  so,  Lank?" 

Wellman  nodded,  repeating  an  assurance 
which  the  glimmer  in  the  boy's  eyes  warned 
him  might  not  be  unnecessary. 

"O,  Joe  's  all  right.  He  ain't  goin'  to  worry.- 
We  could  send  the  whole  lot  in  two  days  if  we 
had  the  barrels." 

"There's  no  trouble  about  barrels;  they  are 
plentier  than  apples  this  year,"  said  the  lawyer. 
"And  here  's  the  money,  Mr.  Waugh." 

Killis  AVaugh  for  a  time  made  a  pretense 
of  counting  the  bills.  Llis  lips  quivered,  and 
the  tears  ran  down  his  withered  cheeks. 

"Mr.  Marvin,"  he  said  at  length,  in  a  voice 
husky  with  emotion,  "do  you  happen  to  have 
that  mortgage  along  with  you?" 

"Certainly;  I  thought  you  might  want  to 
see  it." 

"Yes;  I  would  like  to  look  at  it.     It 's  hung 


An  Indenture.  lOl 

over  the  Hip-roof  House  so  long,  that  it 's  e'en 
a'most  broke  the  ridge-pole."  The  old  man's 
voice  was  tremulous  and  hurried.  "And  now 
T  'd  like  to  see  it  paid  off^caneeled  and  de- 
stroyed. I  'd  like  to  see  it  done,  an'  sleep  one 
more  night  without  dreamin'  of  it.  How  much 
is  there  due  yet  ?" 

"Here  it  is,"  said  !Marvui.  "You  can  see 
for  yourself.  It  won't  take  you  long  to  make 
out,  if  you  are  as  quick  at  figures  as  you  used 
to  be." 

"That  time  's  past,"  answered  the  old  man, 
in  a  saddened  tone,  as  he  laid  the  bills  on  the 
table  and  unfolded  the  mortgage.  "I  declare, 
it 's  been  so  long  since  I  saw  an  instrument  of 
this  kind,  I  hardly  know  where  to  begin." 

He  glanced  at  the  top  of  the  page,  and  went 
rapidly  down,  reading  a  few  words  here  and 
there,  and  now  and  then  making  a  remark  in 
regard  to  what  he  read: 

"  '^This  indenture,  made  the  tenth  day  of 
November,'  that  was  the  time— jest  a  year  after 
Lowizv's  death,  to  a  dav.     I  thouiiht  on  't  at 


192  Tnii  Hip-roof  House. 

the  time,  an',  if  I  'd  had  any  seuse,  would  n't 
have  signed  such  a  paper  at  such  a  time.  One 
gravestun  with  that  date  on  it  is  enough.  'The 
Hip-roof  House  place' — that 's  what  the  lawyer 
put  in,  Mr.  Marvin.  He  said  for  premises  so 
well-known  as  these,  that  was  a  better  descrip- 
tion than  metes  and  bounds  could  be.  Suppose 
it  is?" 

''Well,  it 's  good  enough ;  it  held." 
"To  have  and  to  hold,"  muttered  the  old 
man.  "Yes,  it  held.  It  would  have  held 
whether  it  was  right  or  not,  for  Killis  Waugh 
signed  it  Svith  full  knowledge  of  the  contents 
thereof,  and  for  the  purposes  therein  set  forth,' 
and  that  was  enough.  But  it  won't  hold  any 
longer.  How  much  is  due?  Where  are  the 
payments?  O  yes,  here  they  are.  Interest, 
sixty  dollars;  total,  one  thousand  and  sixty; 
credit,  $100,  $150,  $75,  $20,  $10,  $6.  It  came 
hard  then,  Mr.  Marvin,  but  it  keeps  goin'  on 
year  after  year;  now  the  intrust  ahead  an'  then 
the  credits.  Every  time  I  got  a  dollar,  you  see, 
I  put  by  a  part  for  the  mortgage,  if  it  was  n't 


An  Indenture.  193 

more  'n  a  dime.  That 's  the  way  I  tried  to  pay 
it.  But  I  would  u't  never  have  got  rid  of  it, 
if  it  had  n't  ben  for  Joe — him  an'  'Cindy — 
never.  AVhat 's  that?  What  does  it  mean? 
David  Moxom?  Taid  off,  and  discharged' — 
you're  not  making  sport  of  me,  Mr.  Marvin?" 

The  old  man  looked  beseechingly  into  the 
lawyer's  face. 

"There  's  no  deception,  Mr.  "Waugh,  though 
I  confess  I  can  not  understand  it.  I  received 
a  letter  from  Captain  ]\Ioxum,  by  Joe,  directing 
me  to  release  the  mortgage,  and  inclosing  a 
power  of  attorney  for  that  purpose." 

"How  did  he  come  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  matter?" 

"^^'ho,  Moxom?  AVhy,  he  owned  the  mort- 
gage." 

"So  it  seems;  but  what  I  want  to  know  is, 
how  he  came  to  own  it?" 

"Ask  me  something  easy,"  said  the  lawyer, 
jocosely,  "and  do  n't  expect  me  to  account  for 
David  Moxom's  freaks.  All  I  know  is  that 
sometime  ago  I  got  a  letter  directing  me  to 


194  The  Hip-koof  House. 

satisfy  Perkins,  and  take  an  assignment  in  my 
own  name.  I  did  so,  but  the  same  day  assigned 
to  Moxom.  I  've  no  fanc}'  for  this  new  notion  of 
a  lawyer  holding  titles  for  his  client — always 
feel  as  if  I  was  in  a  dead-fall  when  I  do  it." 

"But  how  about  the  pay,  Mr.  Marvin.  I 
do  n't  understand.  According  to  my  calcula- 
tions, interest  an'  all,  there  was  close  on  to  two 
hundred  dollars  yet  to  pay." 

"Something  better  than  a  hundred,"  an- 
swered Marvin,  carelessly.  "But  you  see  the 
receipt  attached.  There  's  no  mistaking  that: 
*By  cash  received  by  Joseph  Thompson,  balance 
in  full  of  mortgage  on  the  premises  of  Killis 
AVaugh,  known  as  the  Hip-roof  House,  which 
is  hereby  declared  to  be  thereby  satisfied  and 
released.'  That  was  drawn  by  a  lawyer, — no 
doubt  about  that,  for  it  is  signed,  sealed,  and 
witnessed,  so  as  to  make  it  a  good,  formal  re- 
lease of  a  deed.  Xo  mistake  about  it,  ]\Ir. 
Waugh." 

"But  how  could  Joe  pay  him?"  asked  the 
puzzled  old  man. 


An  Indenture.  1^5 

"Perhaps  lie  can  tell  you;  I  can't." 

But  if  the  others  were  surprised,  Joe  was 
astounded. 

''How  about  the  apples  he  sold  on  the  boat?" 
suggested  the  lawyer. 

Joe  blushed  furiously. 

"He  gave  me  all  the  money  he  got  for  them. 
I  said  I  didn't  want  it— that  Daddy  Waugh 
had  sent  him  the  apples,  and  I  was  afraid  he 
would  n't  like  to  have  'em  sold  for  our  benefit 
that  way.  Somehow  it  seemed  too  much  like 
taking  up  a  collection.  Then  he  told  me  it  was 
the  passengers'  own  proposition;  that  they 
bought  the  apples  instead  of  eating  them  for 
nothing,  to  show  they  liked  the  way  we  'd  done, 
and  that  I  was  to  have  the  money  and  do  as  I 
pleased  with  it.  I  said,  of  course,  I  'd  pay  it 
on  the  mortgage;  but  he  kind  of  smiled,  and 
asked  me  what  I  'd  do  Avith  it  if  I  found  that 
was  taken  care  of  already.  Had  n't  I  better 
lake  it  for  books  and  schooling^  I  told  him  I 
could  manage  about  that  without  much  trouble, 
being  u  boy,  but  'Cindy  wanted  over  so  much 


196  Thk  Hip-roop  House. 

to  go  to  the  academy.  Then  he  lauglieil  and 
said: 

"  'All  right,  bnt  you  are  the  stubbornost  boy 
I  ever  saw.  Give  it  to  'Cindy,  and  shift  for 
yourself,  if  you  want  to.  I  've  no  doubt  she  '11 
make  good  use  of  it,  and  it  won't  hurt  her.'  So 
I  brought  it  home,  and  there  it  is,"  he  added, 
awkwardly  thrusting  a  little  package  into  the 
girl's  hands. 

"And  how  does  he  come  to  send  this  money 
on  the  order  for  the  apples  still  in  the  orchard  T' 
asked  the  old  man,  peevishly.  The  day's  mar- 
velous events  were  beginning  to  bewilder  him. 

"O,  I  forgot,"  said  the  lawyer;  ''his  letter 
says  that  one  of  the  passengers,  who  was  a 
grocer,  offered  to  take  the  apples  at  a  dollar  a 
bushel  at  the  harbor,  the  apples  to  be  according 
to  the  samples  Joe  had  brought.  He  paid  the 
money  down  for  two  hundred  bushels,  and  will 
take  all  you  have  at  the  same  price,  and  be  very 
glad  to  get  them." 

"The  Lord  be  thanked,"  ejaculated  Killis 
Waugh,   raising  his  eyes   devoutly.      "It  does 


The  Indenture  Signed. 


See  page  196. 


An  Indenture.  197 

seem  as  if  our  troubles  were  indeed  over.  And 
it  's  all  owing  to  you,  Joe — you  and  'Cindy," 
correcting  liimself,  and  taking  a  hand  of  each. 
''You  'vc  done  it  all,  and  kept  me  from  giving 
up  when  I  was  cast  down.  The  good  Lord  bless 
you  both." 

"And  Captain  Moxom,  too,  daddy,"  said 
Joe. 

"And  Captain  Moxom,  too,"  added  the  old 
man,  with  deep  emotion.  "It 's  the  Lord's 
doing,  and  seems  like  a  miracle;  but  blessed  are 
all  them  that  do  His  will,  and  all  them  that,  in 
our  adversity,  have  shown  us  favor!" 

"Amen!"  ejaculated  Wellman,  who,  being 
a  Methodist,  could  never  restrain  the  inclina- 
tion to  respond. 

A  hush  fell  on  the  little  company.  It  w^as 
broken  by  Joe's  voice: 

"Daddy,  I  do  n't  think  you  ought  to  call  it 
a  miracle.  Seems  to  me  just  as  natural  as  sow- 
ing and  reaping.  You  were  kind  to  others  when 
they  wanted  help,  and  they  've  been  kind  to  you 
when  you  needed  it." 


rJ8  The  Hip-roof  House. 

"Joe  is  right,"  said  the  lawyer;  "it  is  the 
rule,  not  the  exception." 

"As  ye  sow,  so  shall  }'e  reap,"  quoted  AVell- 
man,  "with  rugged  emphasis. 

"In  other  words,  you  invested  in  good-will 
on  a  rising  market,  and  got  your  money  back 
with  interest,"  said  the  more  practical  lawyer. 

"Big  intrust,  Mr.  Marvin,  big  intrust.  I  'm 
only  sorry  Lowizy  ain't  here  to  see,  for  it  's  all 
due  to  her.  I  should  n't  ever  have  done  any- 
thing decent  if  it  had  n't  been  for  her.  But  I 
expect  she  knows — she  knows — all  about  it." 

There  was  a  solemn  silence.  Ilie  hired  men 
stole  softly  out  to  their  work;  the  lawyer  and 
his  wife  prepared  to  depart.  The  old  man  re- 
ceived their  congratulations  with  peaceful  hu- 
mility. When  they  were  ready  to  go,  Joe  began 
to  bid  good-bye,  also. 

"Why,  where  are  you  going?"  asked  'Cindy, 
in  surprise. 

"Going  with  Mr.  ]\rarvin,"  answered  Joe. 

"What 's  that?"  questioned  the  lawyer,  in 
a  tone  of  good-humored  banter.     "Going  with 


An  Indenture.  199 

lis?  Do  you  hear  that,  ]\Irs.  Marvin?  You 
don't  object!  AVell,  I  suppose  not,  but  I  do. 
After  the  demonstrations  I  have  witnessed  to- 
day, my  dear,  I  beg  to  be  excused  from  assum- 
ing the  responsibiHty  of  this  young  man.  Ex- 
cuse me,  Joe,  but  as  the  captain  has  put  you  in 
Uiy  charge,  I  liand  you  over  to  'Cindy.  Make 
him  toe  the  mark,  my  dear,  and  if  he  shows  any 
bigns  of  insubordination,  just  report  him  to  me, 
and  I  will  notify  the  captain,  and  have  him  or- 
dered to  sea  instanter;  or,  if  you  prefer,  I  will 
come  over  any  time  you  may  wish,  and  give  the 
rascal  a  rope's  end,  to  make  him  behave.  Do 
you  hear,  young  man?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Joe,  doubtfully,  "but — but — 
how  long?" 

"How  long  are  you  to  obey  her?  Until  fur- 
ther orders  from  the  captain,  sir." 

AVith  a  ringing  laugh  the  lawyer  turned  to 
depart;  then  changed  his  mind,  and,  coming 
back,  laid  his  hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder,  and 
said : 

'*Do  n't  let  this  turn  your  head,  Joe.     There 


200  The  Hip-roof  House. 

is  n't  but  one  Dave  Moxoni  in  the  world,  and 
you  may  live  to  iind  he  's  rotten  at  the  core.  I 
don't  know;  we  lawyers  see  surprising  things, 
but  not  very  many  of  this  kind.  As  you  are 
now  indentured  to  Captain  Moxom,  he  has,  of 
course,  to  board  and  find  you.  I  am  directed 
to  get  you  a  decent  suit  of  clothes — none  of 
these  sailor  togs — and  arrange  for  your  board 
and  schooling  this  winter.  You  will  attend  the 
academy  this  winter  with  'Cindy,  and  she  will 
keep  close  watch  on  you,  so  that  I  can  report  to 
Moxom  how  you  are  getting  along.  I  suspect 
he  wants  to  make  a  man  of  you,  and  knows  he 
can't  do  it  without  her  help.  He  has  an  idea 
you  are  not  over-fond  of  study,  and  will  need 
her  to  keep  you  up  to  your  work.  You  are  each 
to  come  and  spend  a  Sunday  with  us  every 
month — that  is,  you  are  ordered  to,  and  'Cindy 
is  invited  to — so  that  I  can  not  only  quiz  her 
al)out  yrm,  bnt  judge,  myself,  of  the  truth  of 
her  report." 

"O,  Joe  will  do  his  very  best,  I  am  sure," 


Ax  Indenture.  201 

said  'Cindy,  her  face  aflame  with  joy,  as  she 
put  her  arm  about  his  neek.     "Won't  you,  Joe?" 

"1 — I'll  try,"  said  Joe,  somewhat  doubt- 
fully. 

"I  know  it  will  be  hard,  Joe,"  said  the  law- 
yer, kindly;  ^'harder  than  the  hardest  work, 
perhaps,  to  one  of  your  nature;  but  everything 
v.'orth  having  costs  effort,  and  the  only  way  to 
keep  friends  is  to  make  them  glad  to  be  your 
friends." 

''I  '11  try,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  humbly,  biting 
his  lip. 

"Daddy  Waugh,"  continued  the  lawyer,  "is 
going  to  take  the  money  I  shall  pay  for  your 
board,  and  hire  a  girl  to  keep  house,  so  that  you 
and  'Cindy  will  have  nothing  to  distract  your 
minds  from  study.  Perhaps  he  will  think  ho 
is  able  to  get  a  colt  that  will  be  gaining  in  value 
as  he  grows  older,  and  something  to  drive  him 
to,  so  that  you  can  take  'Cindy  to  school  when 
the  Aveather  is  bad.  lie  owns  a  good  stall  back 
of  the  church,  which  other  people  have  been 


202  The  Hip-roof  House. 

using  for  a  dozen  years.  You  could  keep  tlic 
horse  there  Avithout  eosting  a  cent.  Kow,  if 
YOU  do  n't  do  as  well  as  everybody  expects — " 

"O,  I  will — I  will!"  cried  the  boy,  burying 
]iis  head  on  'Cindy's  shoulder  in  a  passion  of 
tears. 

"jsIy.  Marvin,"  said  Daddy  AVaugh,  "please 
go  away !  We  can't  stand  so  much  of  the  Lord's 
goodness  all  at  once.     Do  n't  you  seel'" 

The  tears  were  flowing  down  the  old  man's 
face. 

"O,  you  '11  probably  get  trouble  enough  to 
make  up  for  it,"  said  the  lawyer,  who  was  prob- 
ably a  lineal  descendant  of  one  of  "Job's  com- 
forters;" "but  I  'm  not  going  till  you  promise 
me  one  thing." 

"What 's  that?    I  '11  do  everything  you  say." 

"How  long  has  it  been  since  Deacon  Waugh 
■went  to  church?" 

"Five  years,"  said  the  old  man,  solemnly; 
"it 's  five  years  since  I  died,  you  know.  A  man 
in  my  condition  can't  go  to  church.     It  's  bad 


Ax  Indenture.  203 

enough  to  be  so  nigh  helpless,  without  going  out 
and  making  a  show  of  one's  self.  Besides,  Mr. 
Marvin,  you  know  I  have  n't  been  able  to  dress 
fit  to  be  seen  in  the  church,  nor  had  any  way 
to  get  there." 

''That 's  not  so  any  longer,"  said  the  lawyer, 
cheerfully.  "Wellnian  would  be  glad  to  take 
you—" 


■'I  've  offered  to  a  hundred  times,  Scjuire," 
said  that  worthy  from  the  door.  "But  you 
know  how  't  is;  a  man  don't  like  to  go  where 
he 's  like  to  have  remarks  made  about  him. 
There  's  many  a  man,  and  woman  too,  stays  away 
from  church  Ijecause  they  have  n't  clothes  they 
think  are  good  enough  to  wear  in  such  com- 
pany." 

"Yon  see,  AVellman  would  be  glad  to  take 
you,"  said  the  lawyer. 

"But  Hank  's  a  Methodist,"  said  the  old  man. 
"I  have  n't  any  claim  in  him." 

"There  ain't  any  Methodist  nor  Baptist,  nor 
anything  in  good  neighborship,"  said  Wellman; 


204  The  Hip-roof  House. 

^'aiul  if  YOU  have  had  misfortunes,  you  've  al- 
ways had  good  neighbors,  Deacon  Waugh," 
said  AVelhnan, 

"That  I  have!  that  I  have!"  said  the  old 
man,  humbly  bowing  Ids  head. 

"And  I  think,"  said  the  lawyer,  "the  whole 
town  would  turn  Presbyterians,  just  for  one 
day,  to  see  Killis  Waugli  sitting  by  Joe  and 
'Cindy  in  the  old  pew  again.  I  know  I  'd  be 
glad  to  step  across  the  street  and  carry  one  side 
of  his  chair  down  the  aisle," 

"Would  ye,  nowf  said  the  old  man,  wist- 
fully. "I  've  more  'n  half  a  mind  to  take  ye 
at  your  word — botli  on  ye." 

The  lawyer  drove  away  witli  a  light  heart, 
and  peace  rested  on  the  unincumbered  Hip-roof 
House.  AVord  came  from  the  captain,  approv- 
ing all  that  had  been  done,  and  urging  Joe  to 
the  closest  attention  to  study,  in  order  to  be 
prepared  for  a  position  much  more  onerous  than 
that  which  he  had  pieviously  occupied. 

The  parcel  business,  the  captain  wrote,  had 


Ax  Indenture.  205 

developed  quite  beyond  anticipation,  and  it  was 
possible  lie  might  not  command  the  Queen  the 
next  year,  as  there  was  talk  of  organizing  a 
new  business,  which  would  be  under  his  charge. 
He  promised  that  he  would  stop  on  his  way 
up  the  lake  after  the  season  closed,  on  condition 
that  he  should  not  be  thanked  for  what  he  had 
done.  So  far  as  the  money  already  paid  was 
concerned,  he  insisted  that  the  business  acci- 
dentally established  through  Joe's  faithfulness 
and  activity  had  much  more  than  reimbursed 
the  owners  of  the  Queen,  and  in  consideration 
of  this  fact,  they  thought  of  christening  their 
new  business,  'The  Joe  Thompson  Express 
Company."  As  for  what  he  proposed  doing, 
the  captain  declared  that  was  only  "a  private 
investment  in  the  future  of  a  boy,"  on  which 
he  expected  great  profits. 

Though  the  company  was  not  named  after 
Joe,  it  was  duly  established  after  some  years; 
and,  after  David  Moxom  ceased  to  be  the  captain 
of  the  Queen,  came  to  be  known  to  two  conti- 


2UG  The  Hip-roof  House. 

nents  as  well  as  lie  had  been  bv  liis  passengers; 
being  noted  always  fur  the  same  qualities,  reli- 
ability, and  dispatch. 

^Neither  want  nor  the  fear  of  want  ever  came 
again  to  the  gentle  owner  of  the  Hip-roof  House, 
whose  cup  of  joy  was  full  to  overflowing,  when 
on  Thanlcsgiving-day,  David  Moxom  sat  again 
at  his  humble  board.  It  was  a  homely  but 
bountiful  repast  he  had  driven  ahead  of  the 
stage  to  partake  of  with  his  grateful  friends. 
Joe  worshiped  his  hero  in  silence,  and  'Cindy 
served  them — a  blushing  Hebe,  of  whose 
beauty  the  captain  of  the  Queen  often  thought 
when  his  mind  recurred  to  his  investment  in 
the  future  of  the  occupants  of  the  old  Hip-roof 
House.  Perhaps  it  had  been  better  if  he  could 
have  forgotten. 


THE  END. 


^' xixyjx xjx yjx xjx xjx yjx x.i x x^x x^x x+x X|X xjx xix xjx xjx xix xjx  ^ 

ETCHINGS  FROM  A  PARSONAGE  VERANDA. 

By  MRS.  E.  JEFFERS  GRAHAM. 

i2ino.      Cloth.     Illustrated.     i8y  pages, 60  cents. 

"  The  style  is  bright,  unconventional,  interesting.  Humor 
and  pathos  blend  as  sketch  after  sketch  passes  in  review. 
Cant  and  hypocrisy  in  the  garb  of  piety  are  stripped  of  their 
disguises.  Integrity  of  character,  in  whatever  station  found, 
receives  its  meed  of  honor.  Everj'  one  who  begins  the  book 
will  finish  it,  and  no  one  can  finish  it  without  being  enter- 
tained and  helped."— Orz^i^zaw   Uplook,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


A    GREAT    APPOINTMENT. 

By  MVRA  GOODWIN  PLANTZ. 

z2mo.     Cloth.    2/8  pages, go  cents. 

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Methodist  minister  is  sent  to  his  first  charge — a  poor,  little 
community  in  the  lumber  region  of  Lake  Superior.  His 
sister  is  to  keep  house  for  him.  Of  their  self-denying 
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Boston,  Mass. 


CURTS  &.  JENNINGS,   Cincinnati,    Chicago.    St.  Louis. 


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neighbors  who  were  not  at  all  neighborh*.  And  then, 
as  the  plot  unfolds,  we  see  how  the  spirit  of  true  neighbor- 
linesss  swept  away  all  barriers,  and  brought  all  hearts 
into  happy,  neighborly  fellowship." — Western  Recorder^ 
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CURTS  &  JENNINGS,    Cincinnati.    Chicago,    St.  Louis. 


14  DAY  USE 

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